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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29224077">Let A Lover Drown You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapakiALaMode/pseuds/LapakiALaMode'>LapakiALaMode</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Betrayal, Drama, Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I LOVE HER SO MUCH, POV Third Person Limited, Plot Twists, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Romance, and poor Lee, do you like ocs?, do you like trash?, man he's gonna have A Time, tenten has a LEADING ROLE DANG IT, then this fic is for you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:02:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,325</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29224077</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapakiALaMode/pseuds/LapakiALaMode</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A new face arrives in Konoha and sets up a small tea shop within the shinobi village. Immediately befriending Tenten this stranger, Misumi, is soon roped into the high drama world of love won, lost, and general shinobi antics.</p><p>After all, with a face so sweet who would question her motives for coming to the village at all?</p><p>(set just before the start of Shippuden)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Rock Lee/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Someone New</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey all! This is my first fic in...years at this point. I've recently fallen into Naruto hell once again after a decade of being free and I'm ready to see what kind of chaos I can get into this time around! Questions, comments and concerns are always welcome. First chapter is short but the juicy bits will be very juicy, I assure you.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I like your hair.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten hesitated. Looking up from the book she had been skimming the back cover of, her eyes landed on the woman on the other side of the table from her. She had known she was there, of course, Tenten was nothing if not a vigilant woman, but she hadn’t thought the other woman might say something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry?” She asked, having not quite heard her right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman motioned to her own head. “Your hair. It’s pretty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tenten couldn’t help it, she smiled. Unconsciously, she smoothed some of her bangs out of her face. “Thank you. I was actually just thinking that I liked your hair too, that color is wonderful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the other woman’s turn to smile, the expression so soft and warm that Tenten couldn’t help but feel drawn to it. “Thank you!” She said, chirping just a little too loudly before she had the proper sense to look embarrassed and quiet her tone. “It’s hard to find clothes to go with it sometimes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten giggled, which made the other woman giggle too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Tenten.” She said, extending a hand before she could think to bow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Misumi.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she shook Tenten’s hand Tenten was almost startled at how soft her skin was, how smooth her palms were. It was easy to forget, she realized, how soft people could be when they weren’t raised to do what she did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bell rang sweetly as the two women stepped outside of the bookstore and into the warm light of the summer sun. Clouds drifted lazily above them, like sailboats among a never ending sea. Misumi smiled up at the sky, the light radiating between the spaces of her fingers as she held her hand up to keep the light out of her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you new to Konoha?” Tenten asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi nodded, her attention turning to the ninja once again. “I actually just moved here this week.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh wow, really?” Tenten asked, finding herself walking alongside Misumi without much thought at all. “What brought you here? Family?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi shook her head. “Oh, no, my family is still back home - I moved out here on my own. A few years ago when I was, oh, just fifteen or so I ended up passing through here while I was traveling with my brother. I think I fell in love the moment I stepped through the gates if I’m being honest. The people were fascinating and welcoming, the land was stunning, and there was something special that just </span>
  <em>
    <span>called </span>
  </em>
  <span>to me every day after I left. So when I got the means I came back, and with any luck I’ll get to stay for quite some time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten watched Misumi as she spoke, watched the way her soft eyes - the shade of long forgotten moss - lit up when she talked about the first time she stepped into Konoha. Being born and raised in the village, the magic Misumi was describing was lost on Tenten she was sure, but for a moment she thought she could feel it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Moving out here on your own is impressive.” She said. “What do you plan to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m opening a tea shop, actually.” Misumi said. “I’ve always wanted to own one, to have a little space where I can make people feel warm and welcome, but the city I’m from has more than enough to go around that they didn’t need another. I figured with how many shinobi are here, and with all the hard work you do, it might be nice to offer something peaceful for this village.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A tea shop sounds amazing.” Tenten said. “I was just talking with my teammate the other day about how nice it would be to have one here. We have more than enough burger joints and ramen places to keep everyone full but some place like a tea shop would be a nice place to go to after a long mission.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or with a long book.” Misumi teased, and Tenten was smiling again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or with a long book.” Tenten agreed. “You’ll have to tell me when you get your shop up and running.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then they were there, standing at an impasse in the form of a fork in the road. One path led farther into the village where the other twisted and turned farther out into a less populated area where lonely homes sat on growing hills. Both of the women came to a stop, scuffing up dirt with their geta.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What way are you going?” Tenten asked and she found, against all odds, she was hoping it was down the same path.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi motioned to the path less traveled. “My home is out that way, I need to get back to unpacking but I’m really glad to have met you Tenten. I know you called it impressive earlier, but truthfully moving out here on my own has been lonelier than I expected it to be and I haven’t exactly had the best luck in making friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess your luck has turned around today, then.” Tenten said. And then, acting on impulse, she continued. “Do you want to grab lunch with me tomorrow? We can go to one of those ramen places I mentioned.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that light in Misumi’s eyes returned. “I’d love that, thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s meet here, then, and I’ll show you around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tomorrow at noon?” Misumi asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tomorrow at noon.” Tenten confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And as Tenten walked away she found that she was still smiling. She thought, for a moment, that she might invite some of the other girls. She knew Hinata and Ino both were free from missions just as she knew both of them could benefit from having another woman in the group - but something stopped her. For once, just once, Tenten wanted a friend that wasn’t part of a group, she wanted one that was just hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surely that wasn’t too much to ask, was it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten did keep Misumi to herself. They lingered after ramen, talking about a shared interest in literature and swapping titles until they found one they had in common to dig their teeth into. They met again many times after that, for ramen or just a walk around the village and their conversation waxed and waned but it never felt uncomfortable. Tenten talked about her time training as a ninja, about what had inspired her to go into the line of work and her love of Tsunade and Misumi seemed all too happy to listen to her, to ask questions and indulge in the knowledge not of jutsu (though that did seem to fascinate her) but of Tenten herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And when Misumi spoke it was of her family, of her loving parents and her artistic brother, of a childhood home filled with hope and regular struggles of crushes and silly spats. It was normal in a way Tenten had forgotten about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten lived a life of adventure and she loved it, there was nothing she wanted more, but that dichotomy made Misumi’s stories of normality all the more interesting to her. Misumi was the sort of person people like Tenten protected. In a village that produced nearly all of the shinobi for the land of fire, a village that prided itself on its military, it was easy to forget people like Misumi existed too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This has been so nice.” Tenten said, breaking the easy silence that settled on them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two women were sitting in Misumi’s backyard, feeling the breeze gently caress their skin and listening to the faint movement of water from the koi pond not too far off. Tenten had her legs stretched out, her body supported by her elbows as she relaxed. Her muscles still ached from her training that morning and her mind was still swirling with the information she had been given soon after.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soft grass bowed to Tenten as she allowed herself to fully lay down. “I’m going to miss it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss it?” Misumi asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m leaving on a mission tomorrow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Misumi said. The sound hung in the air for a moment, accompanied by the faint ting of wind chimes. “Well that will be fun, won't it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tenten was smiling again, turning her head to look at her friend. Misumi was sitting by her, idly tossing food into her pond a few pellets at a time. Misumi’s long lavender hair was left loose, falling down her back like silk. Her kimono, cut short so it only hit her mid thigh, was the color of buttercups and decorated in blue and white flowers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It will be.” Tenten said. “I think I just got too used to pampering myself, you’re a bad influence Misumi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi giggled. “I like to think I’m just a good reminder that even a strong woman like yourself needs pampering now and then. Do you know when you’ll be back?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That depends. If things go well this shouldn’t take more than a week.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And if things go poorly?” Misumi hesitated and, seeing the look in Tenten’s eyes, looked to her pond. “Sorry I...wasn’t thinking. I’m still not used to the whole ‘life and death’ thing as a regular set of stakes in your work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten offered a shrug, or the best shrug she could manage while laying down. “It’s fine I’m not concerned, not this time around. Missions always have the chance to go bad but after everything I’ve done so far I think I can more than handle what’s being asked of me, and that’s not even taking into account the kind of teammates I have.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi nodded at that and Tenten could see that she wanted to ask more about the mission in question, but she was holding back. Tenten was thankful for it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The shop should be open, you know.” Misumi said, perking up again, “By the end of the week, I mean. You and your teammates should come see it, I’ll hold a tea ceremony to celebrate your return and you can tell me if it’s any good or if I need to pick up a job at the ramen place or not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten laughed, the sound warm and bright. “I’m sure it’s not going to come down to that. But...yeah that sounds nice. I’ll let the guys know. Are you sure you want your grand opening to just be my team, though?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything more grand than that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the koi, over eager for its food, lept from the water to catch a pellet mid air. It landed with a splash and Misumi recoiled from the cold water, a hand raising to protect her face, as she was doused. The girls laughed.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. I've Got This Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tenten returns from a mission with Neji and Lee and frets over having her team meet her new friend.<br/>Luckily for Tenten, Neji has an endless amount of grace.<br/>Unluckily for Tenten, Rock Lee is, well, Rock Lee</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tenten would be lying if she said there wasn’t a certain level of nervousness that came with the idea of introducing Neji and Lee to her new friend. It was silly, she knew, to be nervous over something so trivial but the feeling had set its seeds and had grown through the mission all the same. Tenten had faced monsters wearing the appropriate flesh of human skin, had fought ninja rogue and sanctioned alike, and never once had she been nervous before - but this, of all things, had her hesitating. Tenten never hesitated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had thought to bring it up on the journey back to the village, had even felt the words balanced just on the tip of her tongue, but she had bit them back every time. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the two groups to meet, rather, she was just worried what might go wrong if they did. What if Neji’s harder edge offended Misumi, or what if Lee’s penchant for the boisterous rubbed her the wrong way? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What would it say about Tenten?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was that thought that made Tenten feel all the more silly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What did she have to worry about? She was friends with Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee, two of the best shinobi in Konoha, two people she would gladly give her life for and two people who she knew would give their lives for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s good to be home.” Tenten said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t agree more! There is nothing better than returning home after a mission as successful as the one we just had, it’s certainly a joyous occasion.” Lee responded, his vigor just as potent as ever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten smiled, nodding as she took a few quick steps to catch up to the two young men, easily squeezing herself between them as they approached the gates of Konoha.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you know what goes good with joyous occasions? Celebrations.” Tenten said. “My new friend just opened a tea shop and invited us all to come in for a drink after we finished up our latest mission.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was smiling then, her expression bright and teeth glimmering. Tenten, by her own estimations, had slipped the idea in flawlessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neji raised a slim brow, and that tiny shift alone took his expression from something nearly bored to incredulous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s it?” Tenten responded, feeling very much as though she had been caught in some kind of trap but terribly unaware of what exactly it was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been biting your tongue over an invitation to a tea shop?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tenten felt herself flush, heat warming her cheeks. She couldn’t help the way her brown eyes flickered down away from his face before lifting to meet his milky gaze once more. In that moment, that half second where Tenten was nothing short of bashful, Neji’s expression had shifted once again. This time when Tenten looked to him she saw not mild irritation but something more akin to amusement. His features, strong and beautiful like something a master sculptor might spend a lifetime carving and perfecting and always coming up short, had softened with that ever so slight glint of levity. If she had been a weaker woman Tenten might have found herself flushed all over again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t thought Neji would have noticed. Perhaps she wasn’t quite as smooth as she had thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And as she held his gaze, her mind falling short of something witty to say, she saw his lips quirk into a hint of a smile. Okay, and maybe she was weaker than she thought, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A tea shop sounds fantastic! What a great way to unwind after a harrowing mission.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lee’s loud declaration broke the tension that had gathered between Tenten and Neji. Both of them were looking to Lee now, and where Neji’s expressions had been subtle and secretive, Lee wore his excitement on his sleeve. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad someone thinks so.” Tenten said, brightening once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never said I didn’t think it sounded good.” Neji countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Already Tenten had taken a few more quick steps ahead, now leading the way as they closed the distance to the gates. Neji was left to roll his eyes to no one but himself, that quiet smirk making a fleeting appearance once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll let her know we’re back.” Tenten said. “We should go after we get cleaned up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Neji and Lee were both smart enough men to know that wasn’t a suggestion. With the gates to Konoha opening wide to allow the shinobi to return, Tenten was all too excited to step within the walls and be embraced in  the security of her village once more. The mission had left her tired, her muscles aching and wounds still healing, but passing through those gates always gave her a sensation of life, a new breath of strength. Will renewed, the team set off to go meet for debriefing and Tenten found herself less nervous over the idea of introducing the two parts of her life and more anxious to have it happen all the sooner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi was at her shop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was still something magical to that thought. Her shop. With more than a little elbow grease, money, and time Misumi had taken an abandoned store in the heart of Konoha and transformed it into something warm and welcoming. The floors had been cleaned, the tables replaced, and with the help of a few of the other businesses around her Misumi was able to portion off two private rooms from the main seating area with shoji walls with the hopes of being able to use them for proper tea ceremonies. Of course, that required getting people who wanted to have proper tea ceremonies through the door first, and that was shaping up to be Misumi’s next challenge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tying up the excess fabric of her sleeves, Misumi stepped outside. The streets were just busy enough to give the pulse of Konoha an easy flow, with people milling about or meandering from one destination to another. Everywhere she looked there was a glint of metal, the sign of the shinobi. If she had ever questioned just how many ninja resided within these walls before, she surely would never do so again. Beside the door to her shop she had already set up a ladder she had borrowed from the taiyaki place next door, and resting just next to that were the characters that would display the name of her store for all to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuku-an.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hoisting one of the characters up, Misumi was just about to ascend the ladder when something stopped her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Need some help with that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately Misumi was ready to brush the offer off. She had received more than enough help already and though her build was nothing short of slight and soft she was more than certain in her ability to hoist her sign up one piece at a time. And just as she was ready to explain as much, recognition hit her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whirling around Misumi let out an excited noise as she saw none other than her very first friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tenten!” She only just had enough thought to put the character down before she rushed the shinobi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten laughed as Misumi pulled her forward into a hug, and she was unable to do anything more than return the gesture. The two were approximately the same height, but with Misumi’s uniquely (and obnoxiously) tall geta Tenten found herself lifting onto her toes so she could rest her cheek against Misumi’s shoulder. The embrace lasted for just a moment, but it was enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re back!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Am I? I hadn’t noticed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten laughed again when Misumi’s cheeks puffed out in a pout, her hands still on Tenten’s arms as she held her just far enough away to look at her. Her touch was gentle and tender, it was all of the softness shinobi missed out on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to say I’m happy you’re back but I’m not so sure anymore.” Misumi said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh come on,” Tenten teased, “who’s going to give you a hard time if I’m not around? Or help you with heavy lifting, apparently. Is that your sign?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi nodded. Moving the characters so they were lined up against the front wall of her store, she smiled proudly and motioned to them as though she were displaying something truly wonderful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten’s head tilted to the side as she read it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucky Hut?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep! What do you think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love it.” Tenten decided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without further prompting she grabbed one of the characters and, with the ease of a crane taking flight, lifted into the air and landed softly upon the awning that overlooked the store front. Misumi had moved just in time to watch Tenten, her eyes wide and her smile nearly dumbfounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tenten! You really don’t have to help. I can’t imagine how exhausted you must be and, look, you’re even injured!” She tried to sound like a fretting friend, but the edge was taken off by a vague sense of awe that had lingered after watching such a feat of agility.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten gave a flippant wave of her hand. “It’s fine, I want to help. My injury is bandaged and, besides, I have to make sure you’re ready for tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tonight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setting the character into place, Tenten turned to look down at Misumi, her hands on her hips. “Your first customers are coming in, or did you already forget about inviting me and my team over for a celebratory drink?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As if I could ever forget something so important.” Misumi handed more characters to Tenten as she spoke. “I’ll have to hurry to put the finishing touches on things and, oh, perhaps even get some special teas if I can find them on such a short notice. Do you have any preference?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure about the boys, but I’m a big fan of green tea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Green tea it is, then.” Misumi decided. “And maybe some shortbread cookies, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You bake?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Misumi flashed a big smile up to Tenten. “But I can try.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sign in place Tenten hopped down and the two of them stepped back. With Misumi’s hands clasped before her chest and Tenten standing with her hands on her hips, they admired their work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did a great job cleaning this place up.” Tenten said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just wait until you see the inside.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luckily for me I won’t have to wait long. Though, I hate to cut this short but I need to go get cleaned up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s probably for the best. Don’t take this the wrong way, Tenten, but I don’t want you dragging blood into my shop just yet, I think we have to be just a bit closer before that happens.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be sure to let the boys know, I’d hate for them to have to drink their tea on your porch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was with a giggle that Misumi waved Tenten off, watching as the woman disappeared. She lingered there in the street for a moment, hands coming to rest just at her chest once more before she nodded herself. She only had a few hours before Tenten returned and Misumi wasn’t about to have a bad first impression on her very first customers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tenten?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned when she heard her name. Konoha had grown not dark but dim with the fading light. Slowly the synthetic lights of lamps and the glow of lanterns lit the streets, casting long shadows that shifted and swayed like the ocean as people mingled about. It was busy, but even still Tenten was able to pick Neji out immediately. He was dressed casually, or as casually as a man like himself could dress. The slightly off white color of his yukata seemed luminescent in the low light, complimenting the deep brown of his hair and the soft pallor of his skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was subconscious, the way that Tenten adjusted the sleeve of her own yukata. It wasn’t often she had any need to pull the garment out, and that was tragic in a way. She loved the soft pink fabric and the large but tasteful floral pattern that decorated it, and when she had checked herself in the mirror one last time before she left her home she had decided she looked very pretty in it. Now, however, there was a touch of doubt to that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten appreciated seeing the different yukata and kimono in Misumi’s collection, and she knew all too well that tea was considered more formal than the standard late night burger run her group had fallen into after every mission, but standing there before Neji she couldn’t help but feel like she was wearing a costume. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Neji,” she greeted, “hey, glad you found the place.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was hard to miss.” He said with a half shrug. They stood there for a beat, mere steps away, and before Neji let the moment pass him by, he spoke. “You look nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think so?” Tenten asked, looking down at herself. “I’ll be honest I feel kind of silly, I almost thought about coming in my ninja gear but that might have been even stranger.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That hint of a smile was back. “If you had done that I’d look like the strange one. Is Lee with you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten shook her head. “No, I was thinking he was with you. Though, to his credit we are both early.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t like Lee to be late. She looked to the store, to the warm inviting light that filtered through the hazy windows and the door. They should probably wait for Lee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to go in?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten’s gaze was back on Neji as he stepped towards the store. If it was just him, he would have gone in already but Neji had enough sense to know that this was Tenten’s event. It was her friend, after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten looked around just one last time for Lee before she nodded. He was a big boy, she was sure he wouldn’t have a hard time finding the place. Moving to join Neji, she pushed the door open and stepped inside Fuku-an.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The main room of the tea shop had four tables,each of them suitable for no more than four people. Off to the left was a bar that housed all sorts of accoutrement from decorative teapots ready for action to cup sets of all sorts of shapes and colors. The wall behind the bar had been turned into a shelving unit and though it was far from full the tea that had been collected there in various opaque jars and tins was already impressive. And behind that bar was the woman of the hour, the owner of Fuku-an herself, Misumi.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes lit up when she saw the two enter. As she made her way around the counter Tenten and Neji slipped their sandals off and stepped into the slippers Misumi had on offer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you didn’t decide to stand me up last minute, Tenten.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d never dream of such a thing.” Tenten didn’t miss a beat in her retort. She motioned to Neji. “Misumi this is Neji Hyuga of the Huyga clan and Neji this is Misumi Nakamura.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though Misumi hadn’t hesitated to shake Tenten’s hand when they had first met a life-time ago at the bookstore, now she bowed. Neji returned the gesture, though notably his bow didn’t dip as deeply as Misumi’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasure.” He said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I assure you the pleasure is all mine.” Misumi straightened, loosely holding her hands before her. “Please, come take a seat and I’ll get your tea started. I just got it in for you, Tenten, so do excuse me as I grab it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten gave her a casual wave as Misumi disappeared into a back room. Neji and Tenten were left to take a seat at the table Misumi had motioned to, carefully folding their legs under them. Tenten shifted a little, adjusting the way her yukata fell so she didn’t feel too constricted in its long lengths of fabric.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look right at home here, Neji.” She said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Formal tea is a regular occurrence for every branch of the Hyuga clan.” He said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it? I can’t remember the last time I’ve done something like this. You’ll have to stop me before I do anything embarrassing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If that’s the case then I’m certain I have nothing to worry about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten bit the inside of her cheek as though that might stop her from smiling like a fool, like it would stop her from searching Neji’s face for those small hints of warmth she had become so adept at finding. In that small room, surrounded by the scent of freshly cleaned wood and herbal teas, accompanied only by Neji, Tenten felt the rest of the world start to slip away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Neji! Tenten!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two shinobi blinked, both of their eyes snapping towards the door that had just opened. There, in all of his green spandex glory, stood Rock Lee. He hadn’t been thoughtful enough to wear anything other than that abomination of fashion but he was mindful enough to remove his sandals before stepping onto the tatami mats that lined the floor. He was approaching, and fast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I offer nothing but my sincerest apologies for being late. I hope you’ll forgive me but in a demonstration of humility for my transgressions I swear to run one hundred laps around Konoha!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lee please.” Tenten’s hands lifted passively. “You don’t have to do that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No you’re right, two hundred laps!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lee.” She stressed, her eyes darting to the door Misumi had disappeared behind. “Seriously it’s fine, you aren’t late Neji and I were just early.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear I’ll...what?” He asked. Having some of the wind taken out of him he looked between the two and found himself staring at an exasperated Tenten and an ever so stoic Neji. “Oh. Still I’m very sorry and I swear to you both I’ll run three hundred laps around Konoha for making you wait.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was at this point that Tenten rolled her eyes. “Oh will you please just sit down?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grabbing hold of Lee’s arm Tenten yanked and Lee found himself sitting with them. Now with some semblance of his wits about him, Lee looked about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This place is very nice, Tenten. Is your friend-”.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the door to the back opened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There she stood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her long lavender hair was braided, coiled ornately atop of her head, and decorated with fabric flowers that only served to accent her beauty. Bangs framed a soft face with high cheekbones and warm, understanding eyes. She was smiling and that alone might have been enough for Lee to deem her the most beautiful girl in the village - no, that was too little of an honor for a woman like her - she was nothing short of the most beautiful girl in the world. He admired her as she approached their table, appreciating the ease in which she walked, the way the silken threads of her kimono glinted in the light, looking less like sunshine yellow and more like molten gold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t hear her as she spoke to Tenten, but he did see the way her eyes seemed to light up as she held up the tin of matcha tea and how dim the room seemed to be compared to her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tenten, ready to introduce the two, looked to Lee and hesitated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh no. She knew that look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lee?” She asked, watching him blink out of the spell he had been under. If she hadn’t known better, if she hadn’t known Lee all too well, she might have suspected it to be nothing short of genjutsu. “Hey, earth to Lee.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Tenten could stop him Rock Lee had shot to his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello! My name is Rock Lee and It would be my great honor to-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tenten yanked him down again. Flushed with embarrassment she slammed a hand over Lee’s mouth and offered Misumi a nervous smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His great honor to have some of your  tea. Isn’t that right? Lee?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tenten was begging, praying to anything out there that Lee might see the secret message she was sending with her eyes. It was a message that begged him not to mess this up for her, and one that threatened bodily harm if he did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lee looked to Tenten, then Misumi, and back to Tenten. Slowly, Tenten lowered her hand and Lee spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s...right! It would be my great honor to partake in some of your tea. All of your tea!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten was ready to die but, against all odds, she heard Misumi giggle. The hand that wasn’t holding the tin of matcha lifted to her lips in an attempt to hide her smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I will certainly be happy to let you do so.” She said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rock Lee. I’m Misumi Nakamura.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It took 12 pages and two fanfic chapters but Lee and Misumi have finally met! To anyone reading this: thank you, I seriously appreciate it! I'm having a lot of fun writing this and I hope you're having a lot of fun reading it &lt;3<br/>Questions comments and concerns are always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ambrosia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Team Guy enjoys an well deserved evening of tea and banter with Misumi. Tenten is praying nothing goes wrong, Lee is praying to get a girlfriend, and Neji is just praying for some peace and quiet.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Misumi this is wonderful.” Tenten said. “It’s so warm I feel like I could just melt.”</p><p>She was holding her cup delicately, mirroring Neji’s grasp on it with one hand under the bowl and the other steadying the side of it. The matcha was smooth and creamy, earthy and herbal with a natural sweetness that reminded Tenten of rainy days spent tucked safely inside.</p><p>Misumi smiled sweetly as she gathered her things, putting her whisk away now that the final cup had been made.</p><p>“I’m glad, I was nervous I might have over whisked it.” She admitted. “Ah, but please excuse me, I’d hate to intrude on your conversation.”</p><p>She was, after all, just the host. Tenten was about to invite her to stay, but Lee beat her to the punch. In the middle of rising to her feet, Misumi was halted by his words.</p><p>“You aren’t intruding! Please, you should join us. I would hate for you to feel unwelcome in your own store, and besides, I have some questions I would like to ask you.”</p><p>Slowly, Misumi resumed her position at the table. Sitting lightly with her legs tucked under her, she rested her hands on her thighs. Her head tilted to the side just so, curiosity quirking a brow up.</p><p>“Oh? And what sort of questions might those be? Tenten you should have warned me if your friends were going to stage an interrogation.”</p><p>“Hah, yeah, they should have warned me too. But I’m with Lee on this one, you should hang around, it’d be pretty mean of you to disappear on me after I went through all the effort to dress up for this.”</p><p>“That’s fair, that’s fair.” Misumi relented. “And you do look very lovely for the record, Tenten, more so than usual I might dare to say.”</p><p>And as Tenten was left stunned, fighting that same heat that so often coiled in her stomach when Neji looked at her just the right way, Misumi looked to Lee.</p><p>“You had questions for me?” She asked.</p><p>“Oh, yes!” Lee said. Squaring his shoulders and looking very serious indeed, he held up his mostly empty tea cup. “Where did you learn to make tea?”</p><p>Misumi blinked before she giggled, the sound like silver bells. “With a tone like that I was afraid you were about to ask something more serious. My grandmother worked at a tea house long before I was born and she had taught my mother the art when my mother was young. My mother never worked in hospitality but the lessons stuck with her all the same and it feels like I was almost born with the knowledge.”</p><p>“That would explain why it’s so traditional.” Neji said and, seeing the attention he had drawn to himself, offered further insight. “Matcha is served very similarly at the Hyuga estate.”</p><p>“Ah.” Misumi said. “Then I’m very glad I can live up to your standards.”</p><p>“Indeed.” He said. “It’s a shame your talent is likely to be overlooked by the majority of those who will patron here.”</p><p>“Then I hope you’ll become a regular patron here, Neji.” Misumi said. “I would hate for my skills to dull in the face of those with unrefined tastes.”</p><p>And Neji looked at her, his milky gaze all-seeing and yet strangely absent. I felt less like he was seeing her and more like he was seeing through her, through her layers of clothes and careful words, her smile and charming laughter. He was weighing her for who she was and Misumi found herself hoping, breath caught in her lungs, that he wouldn’t find her wanting. Whatever his decision was, it seemed no one was sure but the lingering look had been undeniable.</p><p>“Perhaps.” He said.</p><p>“You said you made cookies?” Tenten offered, shifting the subject both for Misumi’s sake and her own.</p><p>“Oh! Yes, goodness I nearly forgot.”</p><p>She stood, offering a small bow before she departed. Returning quickly with a small, decorated box, she took her place at the table once more and placed the cookies amongst the group. They were small things, square with a decorative scallop edge cut into them. The cookies themselves were an even color, smelling faintly of sugar and vanilla.</p><p>“They’re a little burnt on the bottom.” Misumi admitted, a hand coming up to gently rest against her cheek. “Please don’t feel obligated to eat them, they aren’t the best though I did learn quite a bit about my new stove in the process. And making cookies in general, it’s not quite as easy as it seems, apparently.”</p><p>“Well, they look nice.” Tenten offered. “I’m sure they’re fine.”</p><p>Lee beat her to the punch, snatching one before Tenten could. Misumi’s eyes locked onto Lee as he took his first bite and he realized all too quickly that she was looking at him in hopes of finding an answer. If she simply wanted an opinion or some sort of validation Lee wasn’t sure, but he knew what his answer would be the moment he chomped through the blackened burnt bottom.</p><p>“These are amazing.” He said, quickly finishing off the cookie in question.</p><p>Misumi’s lips parted before they settled into what could only be described as an uncertain smile. “It’s fine if they aren’t, Lee, really, you don’t have to eat them if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“But I do want to.” He said, immediately snatching two more.</p><p>Had he not felt that nervous energy coiling inside of him, that desire to please and be appreciated, he might have had the foresight to not shove both of the cookies into his mouth at once. Unfortunately for both Lee and Tenten, Lee did not have that foresight. So, crumbs catching on his lips and cheeks puffed like a squirrel ready for winter, Lee looked very ready to defend Misumi’s baking from everyone - herself included.</p><p>Tenten didn’t have the self restraint needed to keep from pressing her palm into her forehead. Neji, for his part, took a bite of the cookie and gently sat it down next to his tea in an action that went entirely and utterly unnoticed.</p><p>Misumi’s uncertain expression turned to outright doubt before finally warming to something tender.</p><p>“I suppose you’ll have to come over more often too, then.”</p><p>And Lee, having realized his social faux pas, was left just as stunned as anyone else. It was the approval in her tone, that benevolence, mixed with the beginnings of what might have been embarrassment on his part that warmed both his heart and his cheeks.</p><p>“What?” He asked, mouth still full of cookies before he could catch himself. </p><p>“I plan on practicing my baking more and I’d hate for all of my attempts to go to waste. If you truly like them please, you’re more than welcome to have the rest.” Reaching out, she pushed the box closer to him. And then she looked at Tenten.</p><p>“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you,” she teased, “you’ll have to come over more often as well.”</p><p>“And what skill will I bring?” Tenten asked, lowering her hand now that things hadn’t immediately imploded.</p><p>“As far as I can see, out of everyone here you’ll be the one who can give me honest feedback.”</p><p>“Well, if you want honest feedback,” Tenten tapped her cookie on the table. It made a deep thunking sound. “I think I could kill someone with these.”</p><p>Taken aback, Misumi looked shocked before she burst into giggles. Embarrassed, she covered her face with both of her hands. Encouraged, Tenten leaned forward and grinned.</p><p>“Actually I might ask you to make more of these, they might be my next great weapon on a mission.” Tenten continued.</p><p>“Tenten that’s so mean!” Misumi reached out, gently pushing Tenten’s arm. </p><p>She was still laughing and Tenten laughed too, covering Misumi’s hand on her arm with her own.</p><p>“What? I thought you wanted an honest opinion.”</p><p>And as Tenten teased Misumi, and as Neji looked on with an amused expression, Lee looked down at the box that had been shoved his way. The cookies were burnt and dry and he very much needed a cup of water, but he decided right then and there they were the best cookies he had ever had.</p><p>***</p><p>It was late when the trio stepped outside of the shop. The sun had disappeared beyond the trees, drawing the night across the sky like a blanket. The streets had quieted down as people settled into bars or their beds, life coming in bursts of laughter and light that spilled out of late night hot pot shops and sake houses. The air was still warm, smelling of summer, and Lee let himself stop to appreciate the simplicity of it all.</p><p>“Are you coming?” Tenten asked.</p><p>She and Neji had already taken a few steps away from the door.</p><p>“Hmm? Oh, yes! Of course! I was just…” he couldn’t help but steal a glance behind him, his sentence droning off into silence, unfinished and forgotten.</p><p>“Waiting for our host?” Neji ventured a guess.</p><p>Lee’s attention snapped to him. “I-! I just thought perhaps she’d like someone to walk her home, it is late after all.”</p><p>Tenten sighed. This was the problem with Lee, it was hard to be mad when his heart was so clearly in the right place.</p><p>“What are the chances I can talk you out of this?” Tenten asked.</p><p>“Very low.” Lee said.</p><p>“Let him be, Tenten.” Neji said, already turning from the situation. “If your friend was going to react poorly to him she would have done so by now.”</p><p>And Tenten held her breath for a moment, struggling with the knowledge that Neji was right. She hated it. The problem wasn’t just that she was concerned for Misumi, the problem was that she was concerned for Lee, too. </p><p>“Okay.” She relented. “Just...be careful, okay?”</p><p>Lee gave a thumbs up. “Of course. Good night Neji, Tenten, and thank you again for inviting me!”</p><p>And with a wave, Tenten turned to catch up with Neji. She took a few steps with him, glanced over her shoulder once more, and sighed as she opted not to let herself worry too much about it. After all, this was just who Lee was.</p><p>Lee paced as he waited, his steps falling surprisingly lightly on the wooden deck outside of the tea shop. His steps were so light, in fact, that when Misumi stepped out she was startled to see him. She had tensed up, taking a full step back in the split second that she saw him.</p><p>“Lee?” She asked, tentative.</p><p>“Miss Misumi! I apologize if I caught you off guard.” He said.</p><p>“You’re fine.” The hand that had come to rest on her chest as though that might keep her heart from popping out slowly lowered. “Is something wrong? Or is there something I can help you with?”</p><p>He shook his head. “No, not at all. In fact, I was hoping I could help you with something. You had mentioned over tea that your home is quite out of the way and I was wondering if you would like some company walking back. It is late, after all.”</p><p>And he looked so serious Misumi couldn’t help but visibly relax, her shoulders sinking as she loosely clasped her hands before her.</p><p>“It is late.” She agreed. “I’d appreciate it, thank you.”</p><p>And Lee, try as he might, couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he fell into step beside her. He had been thinking about what he might say if she had accepted his offer, had come up with a few options, but now that he was in the situation his mind betrayed him. They walked on in silence and, unable to help himself, Lee stole a few glances at her as they did.</p><p>She really was pretty, he thought. He liked the way her hair reflected the light of the lanterns and the moon, the way she tilted her head back as she appraised the sky above them and  the wistful look about her and the ease in which she simply existed. She was like the way men painted women, unbothered and untouchable, illusive but not cold.</p><p>And her eyes were so green.</p><p>She was looking at him and it was when Lee realized he had been caught that he looked away, heat blooming in his face once again.</p><p>“It’s a beautiful night out.” Misumi said, continuing to watch him even as he looked away. “Where I’m from there are too many lights to see the stars like this.”</p><p>“Really?” Lee asked.  “The city you’re from then, it’s quite large?”</p><p>Misumi nodded, looking forward once more as they left the lantern lights behind. The road ahead was dark, lit only by the moon that filtered through the trees. Off in the distance there were houses and one by one, like fireflies settling down, their lights flickered out.</p><p>“It’s very large. There’s always something happening, always some place to go to and some person to see. It’s exciting, and I know I’ll miss it eventually, but right now I’m really enjoying how slow Konoha feels in comparison. Though, for a shinobi like you I’m certain your experience is very different.”</p><p>Lee thought about that for a second, pursing his lips to the side before he found his answer. “It is. We are kept very busy with training and missions. I am certain you know Tenten trains nearly every day and she’s not the only one, we all hold ourselves to high standards like that. It’s imperative we keep ourselves in the best shape so we can accept missions to assist others and serve our village.”</p><p>“What sort of missions do you get?”</p><p>“Missions have rankings,” he explained, “the highest is S rank, with the lowest being D. The majority of what my team does now are missions guarding other people as they travel, or escorting them in some way. It is very often we have to deal with highwaymen and thieves.”</p><p>“That must be intense, I can’t even imagine. It sounds like something you might read about in a novel.”</p><p>And Lee perked up at that. “Do you read often, Miss Misumi? Tenten had mentioned you met in a bookstore.”</p><p>“Oh, yes I do.” She said. “I don’t often read exciting stories like that, not that I dislike them, I just tend to find myself drawn to poetry more than long form novels.”</p><p>Poetry. Lee had never really found an interest in poetry before, so much of his life had been dedicated to the art of the shinobi that all other arts had fallen to the side. Now, however, he found himself wishing he had purchased a book of poetry before, or had thought to master the art of the haiku. Unable to suddenly impress Misumi with her favorite art, he opted for the simpler option.</p><p>“Do you have a favorite poem?”</p><p>And there it was again, that spark of life in her eyes that was so quickly becoming Lee’s favorite source of light. He watched as she bit her bottom lip, a way to keep her smile dainty and demure, and he was enraptured as she spoke. Her words were slow and thoughtful, following a natural cantor that seemed nearly lyrical in its ease.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “The moon is a boat, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> the stars white waves, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> and the clouds a sea: </em>
</p><p>
  <em> how does he row, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> the laurel-man, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> all alone?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>And Lee had entirely no idea what the poem meant, but he didn’t have to. All that mattered was the passion he saw in her face, and the tentative look in her eyes that asked for nothing more than indulgence and approval, and those were things Lee could give in spades.</p><p>“You speak beautifully.” He said. </p><p>Misumi blushed. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she looked to Lee. “Thank you, it brings me joy to know I’ve done my favorite poem at least a little justice.”</p><p>With that Lee resolved to buy a book on poetry the first thing in the morning. Or two books. Maybe ten. How many books could he find? </p><p>“So, this is it.” She said.</p><p>Lee blinked, coming to a stop. “What is?”</p><p>“My house.” She motioned to the abode behind her. “Thank you again for taking the time to walk with me all this way.”</p><p>“Of course! It was both an honor and a pleasure, Miss Misumi. And thank you again for being so kind to me. And the tea. And the cookies! It seems I have a lot to thank you for.” He said, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck as he realized his mouth had run away from him.</p><p>And she was giggling again, looking at him with a mixture of soft amusement and that same kindness she always had. “It’s not a problem, Lee.” She bowed. “Good night. Get home safe.”</p><p>“Good night, Miss Misumi.” He bowed too. “I will.”</p><p>A true gentleman he waited until she was safely inside of his home before he left.</p><p>Once inside Misumi let out a sigh. Locking the door behind her she stepped out of her geta, rubbing one foot at a time to ease the pain as she did so. Turning on the lights she moved about her home, a ghost in her own skin as she pulled the pins out of her hair to let the braids fall. Her head was aching, her feet were aching, and she wanted nothing more than to take a hot bath and go to bed.</p><p>But there was work to be done.</p><p>Sitting down at her desk she unfurled a scroll and thought for a moment. It had taken some time but she had finally made contact with her target and truth be told the whole evening had been fairly fruitful. She had clearly gained Rock Lee’s trust, for what little that counted, and Tenten was still none the wiser. Neji Hyuga had been quiet, but she had known from the beginning that he would be a harder egg to crack than most - what little intel she had been given on him had told her as such - but she was certain she was on the right path with him. Misumi had all the time in the world to gain his trust, his affection, and his secrets.</p><p>She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms so that her back popped with enough vigor to make her groan at the sensation. Setting her mind to the task at hand, Misumi dipped her brush into her ink pot she began to write.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Dearest brother, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’ve made a new friend today- </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To those who are still reading, hi! And thank you for reading! I truly, genuinely can't tell you how much the kudos and comments mean to me &lt;3<br/>I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far and that you're ready to strap in for the rest. It's going to be a wild time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Love Drunk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lee, love struck by the local tea hostess, asks for Tenten's blessing to date her. Tenten, as a result, ends up reliving the high school experience as she's made the middle man for Lee's affection as she agrees to determine if Misumi likes him before Lee gets his heart broken (again).</p><p>Misumi reflects on her life choices and buys some flowers from none other than a very bored and mildly gossipy Ino Yamanaka</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Misumi woke in a dark room, the faint buzz of her alarm drawing her out of her dreamless sleep. Reaching out she gave the machine a lazy slap, dousing the room in silence. As she lay there in bed, clad only in a nightgown made of sheer cotton, Misumi reflected upon not her life but just how soft everything was. Her sheets were soft and crisp, her pillow was plush, and her bed was so comfortable she thought it very well might swallow her whole and she wouldn’t have minded one bit. She had never experienced such softness before, she hadn’t known it was possible.</p><p>Everything about Konoha was soft in that way, she thought. The people here were well fed, they laughed and loved and walked without fear. Their hands didn’t drip with blood. She wondered how many of them knew how good they had it, if they knew how much Konoha and the Land of Fire as a whole had profited off the corpses of others and the skeletons of villages they had stripped in war.</p><p>Slowly, Misumi sat up. Shaking the sleep off like ash, Misumi began her day. She had been in Konoha for nearly a month then and yet there were so many luxuries she had yet to become accustomed to. She wasn’t used to having a refrigerator filled with food or the difference in wondering what she could eat that morning rather than if she could eat at all. She wasn’t accustomed to taking time for herself over a hot cup of tea, listening to the sounds of nature lazily come to life around her as she sat secluded in her own garden. And she wasn’t accustomed to the face that met her in the mirror after her shower, either.</p><p>It startled her, still, the face that existed in the reflection. Misumi tilted her head to the left, then the right, bringing a hand up to feel her face once again. The familiar contours had been changed in such small ways but she was left feeling like a stranger all the same.</p><p>They had lifted her cheekbones, removed her pockmarks, and filled the empty space below her gaunt eyes to make them plump and smooth, erasing the years of malnutrition and trauma. They had changed her lips, too, adding just enough softness that she had gone from merely average to pretty. Misumi had never been <em> pretty </em> before.</p><p>She wasn’t sure she liked it.</p><p>But then again, this wasn’t about what Misumi liked, it never had been. No one cared what the dagger thought.</p><p>She cleaned her dishes from that morning, fed the koi fish with scales that shimmered in the first rays of sunlight, and donning her geta she stepped into her facade and out into Konoha.</p><p>***</p><p>Across the village, a kuni nearly sliced right through Lee’s ear. He dodged at the last second, a few centimeters of black hair being shaved off in the process. That was far from the last thing being hurled at him, however, and Lee was forced on the defensive as he dropped low to avoid another one of Tenten’s weapons. He twisted, kicking back up in preparation to meet her only to find himself on the business end of a long pole. Closelined, Lee was thrown to the ground and was left laying there, arms akimbo, as he watched the sunrise behind Tenten.</p><p>“Lee!” Guy’s loud, baritone voice cut through the air as he approached. “I haven’t seen you do this poorly in some time, what’s gotten into you today?” </p><p>“Maybe it’s all those cookies from last night.” Tenten teased, offering him a hand up. “You didn’t seriously eat all of those did you? They’ll make you sick.”</p><p>“Of course I did, and I found that they were very nice.” Nice, not good. Taking her hand, Lee pulled himself to his feet.</p><p>“Cookies from last night?” Guy asked, a thick brow raising as he crossed his arms. “Lee you know that with how hard you train your body you can’t afford to give it anything less than the absolute best.”</p><p>Lee, board straight, nodded and bowed. “Yes, Guy, I am very sorry!”</p><p>But he couldn’t bring himself to promise that it wouldn’t happen again.</p><p>Guy’s eyes narrowed for a moment as he considered this answer. Part of him was curious as to what his kids had gotten up to the evening before but interrupting training to suss it out wasn’t the best idea. Later, he decided, he’d get to the bottom of what had gone on.</p><p>“It’s fine, Lee, you live and you learn. Give me five laps and when you get back you’re going to actually give Tenten a real fight this time!”</p><p>“Yes sir!”</p><p>Though Lee was able to get his head back in the game, he still found himself staring at Tenten more than a few times. Lee was pretty sure he was being subtle in his staring, but when Tenten took a seat beside him, water in one hand and her eyes watching Neji and Guy spar, she didn’t give him a chance to play innocent.</p><p>“Alright so either there’s something on my face, or something on your mind.” She said.</p><p>Lee blanched, his dark gaze immediately falling on his hands in his lap. “I didn’t think I was being that obvious.”</p><p>“You’re good at a lot of things, Lee,  but subtlety isn’t one of them.”</p><p>“I suppose you’re right.”</p><p>“So,” she gave a vague wave of her hand, “what is it? What’s on your mind?”</p><p>Lee paused. He knew what he had wanted to say, he knew more than anything what he wanted to do, and what he lacked in subtlety he more than made up for in his forward nature. It wasn’t that long ago, after all, that he had marched right up to Sakura and declared his love for her within minutes of meeting her, had vowed to protect her against all odds and sworn his heart away. Sakura had captivated him the moment he had seen her, with her silky pink hair and soft face and the love that had made her eyes sparkle. It was a shame that love had never been aimed at him.</p><p>Lee had grown enough since then in some ways, though in so many others he was still a young man, a child prone to picking the petals off of flowers in hopes they would tell him he would find his true love.</p><p>“Your friend, Miss Misumi, she’s very nice.” Lee said.</p><p>“Yeah, she is.” Tenten agreed. She wasn’t about to make this easy for him.</p><p>Squaring his jaw, Lee took a breath, and looked at Tenten. “I understand she is your friend first and foremost and that is why I’m coming to you first. I would like to ask her out, but I wanted to make sure that would be okay with you before I did it. I value you and our friendship, Tenten, and the last thing I would want to do is offend or hurt you in any way. I like miss Misumi a lot, she is easy to be around and I feel like there could truly be something there - but if you would rather I not ask her out for whatever reason, I won’t.”</p><p>Tenten was stunned. In the middle of putting her cap back on her water bottle, she stared at Lee. His body was tense, his eyes serious, and the hands in his lap were clenched so tightly she swore she could see the tendons in his arms flex under his bandages. She had known from the moment he saw Misumi that he had fallen for her instantly just as he had fallen for Sakura back during the exams, and she had been ready for him to tell her that he was going to ask Misumi out.</p><p>What she hadn’t been ready for was Lee asking for her permission first.</p><p>Tenten let out a breath, sighing as she put her water down. Hands pressing into the grass she leaned back and opted to watch Neji and Guy instead. She had been there when Lee had  fallen for Sakura, and she had been there when Lee slowly realized that try as he might he would never be able to make Sakura feel for him what he felt for her. It wasn’t that Sakura had hurt Lee, not on purpose, she had been nothing but kind to him but she had crushed him all the same. It wasn’t Sakura’s fault, both Lee and Tenten knew that, it was just that for as strong and durable as Lee was he had one terrible, horrible soft spot.</p><p>His heart.</p><p>“I had already figured you’d probably want to ask her out. Like I said, you aren’t exactly good at hiding things.” Tenten’s dry smile faded as she continued. “I’m not against the idea, don’t get me wrong, and it’s not exactly like I have the right to give you permission to ask her out, but I just...I don’t want to see you get hurt, Lee.”</p><p>Lee’s posture softened.</p><p>“I don’t think she’ll hurt you on purpose.” Tenten continued. “But if I tell you that I think she’s really sweet and that asking her out is a good idea, and if she says no, then it’s kind of on me that you got your hopes up only to have them crushed, you know?”</p><p>There was a pause as Tenten gathered her thoughts and when she look to Lee, she saw a sort of hesitance in his eyes.</p><p>“So, you don’t think she’d want to go out with me?”</p><p>Tenten was at a crossroads. On one hand she could stop this now, and on the other - who was she to keep Lee from what very well could be the love of his life? She had watched Misumi last night, had seen the way she treated Lee not with kindness but a certain kind of warmth that went beyond platitudes.</p><p>She bit her lip.</p><p>“Why don’t you let me ask her first?”</p><p>It was like she had flipped a switch. Lee lit up immediately. Unable to grab Tenten’s hands he, instead, grabbed her shoulders and tugged her into a hug. </p><p>“Thank you, Tenten! Thank you, thank you, <em>thank you!</em>”</p><p>Though Tenten made an annoyed noise, she was smiling. “Yeah, yeah, don’t expect me to do this again though, Lee. I just don’t want you scaring her off.”</p><p>Lee laughed. Reinvigorated, he jumped to his feet and offered her a hand up.</p><p>“Come on, let’s go train! The sooner we finish the sooner you can ask her!”</p><p>***</p><p>Ino Yamanaka was a kunoichi, a talented fighter, one of Konoha’s true beauties, and - most importantly - a very loving daughter. It was that last attribute that had her trapped behind the front desk of her family’s flower shop that morning. The space had been cleaned, the flowers arranged, and now she was left flipping through a magazine in an attempt to make the time go by faster.</p><p>Who came in for flowers this early in the morning during the middle of the week, anyway?</p><p>And it was just as that thought came to pass that the sound of a bell alerted Ino to the customer who had just stepped in.</p><p>“Hello.” She greeted. “Is there anything I can help you find?”</p><p>Misumi smiled sweetly, taking a moment to bow before she approached the desk. Ino was pretty, beautiful really, with impossibly blonde hair and eyes so blue it was almost hypnotic, and she looked entirely and utterly bored out of her mind.</p><p>So this was the daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka. Interesting.</p><p>“Hello.” Misumi said. “Ah, yes, I was hoping if you could help me put together a bouquet for my tea shop? Nothing too ornate, just enough to bring some life into the place.”</p><p>“Your tea shop?” Ino asked. It was only then that she straightened up, no longer resting her chin on her palm. “You mean that place that just opened up down the way?”</p><p>“That’s the one.”</p><p>Something seemed to click and, suddenly, Ino seemed much more interested. “Oh, so <em> you’re </em> Tenten’s friend. I was wondering when I’d get to meet who she’s been running around with, it’s not like her to miss girl’s night you know.”</p><p>“Oh.” Misumi blinked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”</p><p>Ino waved her hand flippantly, rounding the counter. “It’s fine, I’m messing with you. Mostly.” And before Misumi could react, Ino winked and smiled. “It really is nice to meet you, Misumi, right?”</p><p>Misumi’s concerned smile warmed and she nodded. “Yes, that’s correct. It’s nice to meet you too Miss…?”</p><p>“Ino.” She offered. “Now, you said you were wanting some flowers for your store?”</p><p>Introductions out of the way, Ino didn’t hesitate in getting to work. It took some time, both of the girls going over color schemes and discussing what they could get away with before it became unreasonably ostentatious, and by the end of it Misumi was looking very pleased with the bouquet that was tucked lovingly in her arms.</p><p>“This is wonderful, thank you so much Ino.”</p><p>“It’s not a problem.” She said. “You better not be lying to me about liking those flowers though, you know, I fully expect to see them on display when I come by later.”</p><p>Misumi’s smile turned into a grin. “Of course.”</p><p>And pleased with herself, Misumi departed.</p><p>Weaving her way through the streets, Misumi organized her thoughts. Though Neji was the explicit target, making connections with any and all shinobi she could would be to Misumi’s benefit. The better she could endear herself to them, the more she could solidify herself as someone who belonged inside of their group, the easier her job would be, the more she could learn not just about the power the Leaf Village had amassed within its walls but their plans as well. She had planted a seed in the Yamanaka family, a social thread, and now she just had to nurture it slowly and gently.</p><p>Everything about Misumi’s job would be slow. She had nearly rolled her eyes when Lee described the work that he and his team did. Bandits, thieves, it was all so mundine she was left wondering if the Leaf was truly masterful when it came to hiding their more underhanded tactics or if they were so foolish they had forgotten about them entirely.</p><p>To be a kunoichi, after all, was to be a master of subterfuge.</p><p>Arriving at the shop, Misumi flipped the sign so that it read ‘open’ and placed the bouquet of flowers inside of the vase she had on hand. They were, in all actually, very pretty flowers. She touched the petals of one of them gently, appreciating just how silken smooth they were under her fingers.</p><p>The door opened.</p><p>Surprised to have customers already, Misumi turned and was just about to greet them when her words died on her tongue.</p><p>“Tenten?”</p><p>The woman lifted a hand in casual greeting. “Hey. Do you have a moment?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't expect to post again so fast but man when inspiration hits, it hits! Thank you to anyone who is reading so far &lt;3<br/>I truly expected this fic to die in obscurity but the fact that even a handful of people have read it is beyond touching.</p><p>Questions, Comments, Critiques, and Concerns are always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Those Sweet Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lee asks Misumi out.<br/>She says yes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There was a small noise as the tea cup was placed before Tenten, the scent of hot herbs wafting up from the freshly brewed cup of sencha. Misumi sat across from Tenten with her own cup, her hands delicately holding either side as she warmed her fingers. If Tenten wanted to talk, then Misumi had all the time in the world for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Misumi inclined her head some, a prompt to continue, “what’s plaguing your heart?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenten laughed. “I don’t know if I’d say anything is plaguing my heart, it’s not nearly that dramatic, it’s just...hm.” She paused,rolling her lips into a fine line as she thought of how she wanted to phrase this. “So you remember my teammates from last night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah. So this was it. Misumi was surprised, honestly, that Neji might make his move so soon, but the fact that he might choose to do it through Tenten made sense. With as traditional as the Hyuga clan was, going through a third party to express interest was nothing short of standard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi nodded. “They’re hard to forget.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right? Well, Lee, the one with the dark hair, thought you were pretty hard to forget yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was where the problem began. With Misumi half distracted by her own thoughts and Tenten speaking half behind a mug of fresh tea, it was no wonder an error in communication occurred. Where Tenten had said Lee, it was Misumi who had heard </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It struck Misumi as amusing that Tenten might attempt to be coy, but who was she to judge?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Misumi had a chance to respond, Tenten had pushed through the beat of silence and continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate that I have to do this,” she admitted, “it feels really childish but, in all honesty I just really care about the guy, you know? And if you don’t have any interest in him I’d rather he know before he asked you out. He hasn’t been all that lucky with love before and, well, I dunno...I just want something to go right for him this time.” Her voice had softened, empathy coloring her words before she realized what she might have implied. Immediately Tenten straightened, waving her hand. “Not that you have to go out with him or anything if you don’t want to but, well, he’s a really, really good guy and I feel like I’d be doing him a disservice if I didn’t try and vouch for him even a little.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was sweet, Misumi thought, the way Tenten went out of her way to speak of her friend. Everything about Tenten was sweet. In another world Misumi liked to think that perhaps they could have truly been friends, or maybe Misumi would have been lucky enough to have a shinobi like Tenten strike her down in battle. At least she, of all combatants, would have shown heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had no idea he had any interest in me.” Misumi said. “I must admit I’m stunned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenten raised a brow. “Seriously, you didn’t see the way he was looking at you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi was immediately brought back to that moment, that sensation of being seen to her core when Neji had stared at her. His eyes had been so intense it was as though she had been stripped bare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t strike me as the oblivious type.” Tenten said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I haven’t exactly had a lot of experience with this sort of thing before.” Misumi said, and the truth was out before she could think to play her part. She stiffened as Tenten stared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re kidding.” She said. “You? You haven’t had much romantic experience? I mean, I haven’t either but that’s a given, I would have thought you’d be attracting boys like flies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s a given</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Misumi asked, turning the conversation back on Tenten. “Tenten you’re gorgeous! If we’re going on attractiveness alone then you do yourself too little justice. Must I remind you that the very reason I spoke to you at first was because I thought you were cute?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenten couldn’t help it, she blushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s different.” She said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it?” Misumi asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenten wasn’t able to stop that little voice inside her head, the one that so simply wondered: </span>
  <em>
    <span>was it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay well, whatever this isn’t about me.” Tenten said, flustered but trying her best to hide it. “This is about you. So, Misumi, are you interested at all in going on a date with my teammate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Misumi knew the answer before Tenten had even finished asking. Mindful to not sound too eager or seem to expectant, Misumi nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was then that Tenten realized, with more than a touch of shame, that she hadn’t actually expected Misumi to have any interest at all in Lee. She hadn’t thought Misumi might say yes.That, however, was something she’d have to unpack later. The bell at the front door had jingled, signaling the arrival of customers and the end of Tenten’s conversation with Misumi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Tenten said. “I’ll let him know and get out of your hair for now, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of them stood and as Tenten went to leave, Misumi grabbed her wrist gently, beseeching her to stay just a moment longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This won't change anything, you know, between us. I know the addition of boys can cause a lot of drama but I want to be clear that I’m not going to push you to the wayside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenten didn’t know she had been wanting to hear those words until they had been said. She huffed a laugh, smiling at Misumi as she shifted her wrist so they were, instead, holding hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh don’t worry, I wouldn’t let you even if you tried. We’ll plan something later, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi nodded and Tenten made her leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Tenten gone, Misumi turned her attention to the customers who had entered the tea shop. They were an older couple and she didn’t hesitate to bow before guiding them inside. Though her personality was a finely tuned act, the tea shop wasn’t. For better or for worse, Misumi had to actually turn a profit if she was to remain on the mission - after all, it would be suspicious if she owned a failing store and seemed to suffer no ill consequences from it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of her day went by in a rush. Between greeting new customers and brewing tea, cleaning dishes and counting money, the hours blurred and faded into one another like watercolor. Just as the place was emptying out and she was no longer being peppered with small questions from curious citizens there was always another round, another person, and another moment in which Misumi had to live and breathe in her facade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The day wore into evening and Misumi checked the time. It was nearly time to close up, what with the hours she had given herself for the weekdays, and with the shop clearing out of its last patron for the moment Misumi set to cleaning up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gathering the garbage from the day’s events she stepped into the back alley and paused. Her head tilted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now what are you doing here?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat she was speaking to, an ugly little thing with a head too big for its body, looked up from the dumpster it had been in the middle of digging through and stared directly at Misumi. It was thin, its ribs visible below matted fur, and Misumi couldn’t stop the intrusive thought that told her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As a child she had fought with animals like this, wild cats and dogs for scraps that were only just enough to sustain a worthless life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her chest was tight as she stared at the cat, muscles constricting before that rational voice in her head asked her what the point would be. Why hurt something that was just trying to get by when she, herself, had more than enough?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Setting down the trash, she dug through it until she found the lunch she had stepped out for. There wasn’t much left but a few scraps of rice flour buns and cold duck skin, but it was something. Throwing the rest of the trash away she left the scraps out by the back door and returned inside. She pressed a hand to her breast bone, rubbing her chest as though that might make the strange sensation inside of it dull.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been some time since she had thought about her life as a child and the dissonance had never been stronger than it was right then. Accepting what she had done, what she had been made to do, as normal had allowed her to survive but now in the face of abundance the memories took on a different color.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking the ghosts off, Misumi entered the main room once more and saw none other than the Handsome Green Devil of the Hidden Leaf himself - Rock Lee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was standing just inside her store, his hands clasped behind his back. Rocking up onto his toes he looked about, peering at the paintings Misumi had begun to put up in an attempt to create a more welcoming ambiance. When Lee noticed Misumi’s arrival, his big black eyes focused on her like a shark honing in on its prey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi bowed, a habit at that point, before she approached.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lee, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The pleasure is all mine!” He said, a little too loudly. “I hope the day has treated you well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well.” Misumi said. “I think people are starting to come in, probably to sate their own curiosity for now, but I’m hoping a few will become regulars. Tenten stopped by today, too, which is always a nice surprise. Are you here for some tea, Lee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head so quickly Misumi feared he might very well give himself whiplash. “No, I’m fine, thank you. I’m here for something much more important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strange sensation coiled inside of Misumi, the feeling that she might have missed something, forgotten some important detail. Now within a casual speaking distance of him she noticed that his hands were still firmly behind his back and, more importantly, he had twisted ever so slightly to ensure his front faced her when she came to stand before him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you hiding something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Lee said too quickly. A blush was starting to form, heat bubbling under his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had a determined look in his eye, a fire as he told himself there were no more excuses. It was now or never.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Misumi stepped closer, peering to try and see behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss Misumi,” Lee took a step closer, the toes of their shoes nearly touching, and before he said anything else he brandished a flower and bowed deeply. “Please it would be my great honor to have you accompany me to the summer festival next weekend as my date!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took a step back. Staring at Lee’s board straight back and his outstretched hand that held a single yellow rose, Misumi finally realized what her mistake had been. Oh. Oh no she had misheard Tenten hadn’t she?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In an instant the conversation she had earlier played through her head again and it only took a moment for Misumi to realize where she had made her mistake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was she to do?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On one hand, Neji Hyuga had been her assigned target due to the power of the Hyuga clan and their mysterious and dangerous kekkei genkai. On the other hand, Misumi had a sneaking suspicion that if Neji’s friend was interested in her, the chance of her catching him in her web at this point was very low indeed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What would her handler say?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But maybe this could be salvaged. Though the chances of digging her way into his life in a romantic sense and joining the Hyuga clan officially was low, perhaps not all was lost. If they just wanted to keep a pulse on Konoha, to have an accurate report of what they would be facing, that was something Misumi was still poised to offer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she could use Lee to do just that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hand, she realized, was quivering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made more sense now, what Tenten had told her, about her friend being unlucky in love. What a shame, then, that such a thing would make him all the more easy to manipulate. Misumi almost felt bad for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She placed a hand on his and immediately his head lifted, eyes watching her once again. She smiled and Lee was trapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to go with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Truly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lee was smiling too, then, the sort of smile that could bring angels to their knees, the sort of smile that made Misumi’s chest quiver. Standing up Lee wasted no time in clasping both of Misumi’s hands within his own, pressing the rose into her grasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” He said. “You will have an amazing time, the best time out of anyone there, I swear it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was so serious, so impossibly earnest that, for no longer than the span of a heartbeat, Misumi believed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of that I have no doubt.” She squeezed his hands before she pulled away. “If you don’t mind, though, I need to finish closing up. Perhaps we can come up with a plan later?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Oh, yes, of course. I apologize if I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lifted a hand, placing it lightly upon his chest to hush him. “You’re fine, Lee. We’ll talk later, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling light headed and with that goofy smile still in place, Lee left. Misumi watched him go and locked the door behind him. Flipping the sign on the front to Closed, she tucked the yellow rose into the vase and set about finishing up her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, as she tucked herself into bed and drifted along the line that seperated the waking world and the dreamers, she thought of the cat, and who she had been, and Lee, and the yellow rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found herself hoping, as she slipped into the abyss, that all of  this would work out. Not for Lee’s sake, but for her own. She had no doubt that if she failed, if her handler found her to be subpar in any way, that she would die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time in her life, that thought didn’t sit easily within her heart.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Who's ready for the ultimate first date fluff? I hope you are because that's all next chapter is going to be.<br/>Thank you again to everyone who has read this far! I'm glad we can all share the love of Lee &lt;3</p><p>Questions, Comments, Concerns and Critiques are always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Like Real People Do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In this extra long chapter Misumi and Lee go to the annual summer festival for their first date. Between the games and laughter, fireworks aren't the only thing that share a spark.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t like her to hesitate. Brush poised lightly between her fingers, Misumi stared down at her half written letter to her <em> brother </em>. It had been nearly a week since Lee had asked her out and she had spent that time procrastinating on updating her handler about the situation. She was torn, swinging wildly between believing this would all work out even with her shift in targets and knowing with all of her heart that it would be mere weeks before she was either pulled out or poisoned once her handler knew what had happened. Lying wasn’t an option, not unless she wanted to be tried for treason and death was certainly a better option than that.</p><p>
  <em> ‘I’d write more but I actually have a date tonight and I’ve put off getting ready for too long. I’m going to the festival with one of Tenten’s friends, the young man I had mentioned earlier: Rock Lee. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I hope this letter finds you well, dear brother, and please give mom and dad all of my love. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Warm regards, Misumi Nakamura </em>
</p><p>
  <em> P.S. I love the little sculpture you sent! It fits perfectly on my bookshelf and I think of you every time I see it.’ </em>
</p><p>With the letter finished Misumi put her pen down and pushed away from her desk. Feeling as though she had just signed her death wish, Misumi rubbed her hands against her face and tried to focus.</p><p>Lee had, surprisingly, given her a copious amount of space after he had asked her out. With a personality like his, she had been expecting him to be breathing down her neck like a lost puppy but, instead, he had left her to her own accord. She had met with Tenten  for dinner twice that week and in those moments where she was tucked in a booth with hoisin sauce on her fingers and a shared basket of fries between them, it was easy to forget entirely about the looming event that had become the cause of her internal angst.</p><p>Now, however, there were no distractions. There was nothing left for her to do to avoid the inevitable.</p><p>She dressed in her nicest yukata, adorned just enough makeup to be alluring but not so much it would draw undue attention, and departed. Dropping off the scroll to be sent out with the next round of mail, Misumi sealed both her fate and herself away. With every step she took on her way to meet up with Lee, Misumi was able to slip into her role once more.</p><p>The evening was already shaping up to be stunning. Colorful lanterns had been strung across the walkways, linking across buildings and light posts. The sun, just starting to set, painted the sky in wide swaths of orange and gold and the wisps of clouds above had turned a translucent pink. The air smelled of flowers and fried food and excitement.</p><p>The closer she got to the heart of the village, the more people Misumi saw. Children dashed along to meet with friends, older couples stolled hand in hand, and just as the sound of the festivities began their crescendo Misumi saw him.</p><p>Her date.</p><p>Lee wore not his green jumpsuit but black tactical pants that were common among the jonin and a sleeveless shamrock green shirt that was tight enough to highlight his physique. The bandages around his arms were gone too and, oh, she had never realized just how strong Lee was. It made sense, of course, that a shinobi would be at his peak physically, but those arms were something else.</p><p>“Miss Misumi.” Lee jogged to close the distance. “You look-”</p><p>“Lee you look great.”</p><p>Misumi wasn’t sure who was more stunned. For a moment the two stared at one another, Lee stunned by what she had said and Misumi startled by the fact that she had said it at all. Recovering first Misumi reached for him, taking his hand in hers. His palm was rough, and warm, and just a little damp, but she didn’t care.</p><p>“Come on, I’m excited to see what the festival has to offer.”</p><p>Reeling and just a little terrified that his hands were sweaty, Lee nodded. “Yes, of course! And thank you, you look amazing too. I didn’t realize it was possible to improve upon perfection.”</p><p>It was Misumi’s turn to blush. What made the line work wasn’t how smooth it was but just how earnest Lee sounded, like he had said the first thing that had come to his mind rather than turning to something that had been practiced. What made the line work was that he meant it.</p><p>With a gentle tug, Lee fell into step beside Misumi as the two fully entered the festival grounds. Try as she might, Misumi was unable to keep the sense of wonder and awe at bay. If her home village had festivals like this, she certainly had never been allowed to attend them. There were so many people, so much food and so many games that the sheer abundance of everything was sickening.</p><p>“So what would you like to do first?” </p><p>Misumi thought for a moment.</p><p>“We should grab some food and do a lap, I think.” Misumi decided. “You can show me some of your favorite food stalls.”</p><p>With a new mission, Lee led the way to a stall he was certain would impress.</p><p>“I come to this place every year.” He said. “I can’t think of any food I dislike, but if I had to pick a favorite this would be it.”</p><p>With that announcement, Misumi found herself standing in line at a stall with a large, poorly painted shinobi octopus sign. </p><p>“Takoyaki?” She asked.</p><p>“Yes.” Lee said. “The first year after we graduated from the academy, my teacher - Guy - had us come to the festival as a team and tasked us with picking a place to eat. Needless to say, when we couldn’t decide on our own, Guy broke the stalemate with this very takoyaki stand and it has been my favorite ever since.”</p><p>He looked so serious that Misumi had no choice but to giggle.</p><p>“That’s so sweet of him. Are you and Guy very close, then?”</p><p>“Absolutely. He’s an amazing man as well as an amazing shinobi and I aspire to be like him every day. He’s like a father to me.” He said. Before Misumi could ask any more questions, they were at the front of the line.</p><p>“Rock Lee! Good to see you again.” The man behind the counter greeted. He grinned at the duo. “What can I get for you and your friend?”</p><p>Lee looked to Misumi. “What would you like?”</p><p>“What would you suggest?”</p><p>“One of the usual, please.” Lee said, pulling out his wallet. He hesitated. “Are you okay with sharing?”</p><p>“Absolutely.”</p><p>With a nod Lee exchanged his money for a paper boat filled with takoyaki and  the two departed the stall. Skewering one of the takoyaki with a toothpick, he offered it to Misumi. Taking a dainty, lady-like bite of takoyaki proved to be harder than it looked. With bonito flakes caught in the corners of her mouth and sauce half smeared on her upper lip, Misumi had to admit defeat.</p><p>“Well? Was it a good choice?” Lee asked, offering her one of the napkins that had been tucked between his hand and the bottom of the paper boat.</p><p>“A very good choice.” Misumi agreed. “These are fantastic.”</p><p>Lee was poised to take his own messy bite when he spotted Kiba and Hinata both a few paces away. Kiba was laughing at something Hinata had said and Lee watched as Kiba looked at him once, twice, and then realization sparked in Kiba’s sharp eyes.</p><p>“Lee? Is that you?” He was approaching now, and fast. “Holy shit man, I almost didn’t recognize you without that green jumpsuit of yours. Finally decide to change up your wardrobe some, or was it just finally time to wash that old thing?”</p><p>When he reached the duo, Kiba reached out and clapped a hand on Lee’s shoulder. His grin was nothing short of wolfish.</p><p>“You may mock me all you want, Kiba, but don’t think you’re fooling me, I am all too aware that you are just jealous of my tactical gear.”</p><p>Kiba laughed, squeezing Lee’s shoulder affectionately before letting him go. “Funny. Seriously though, man, I don’t think I’ve seen you out of that thing even once, this is a nice change of pace.”</p><p>In Kiba’s appraisal, he didn’t notice Misumi - nor did he notice Hinata approach her.</p><p>“It’s good to see you again, Misumi, you look nice this evening.” Hinata said.</p><p>Her voice was breathy and soft just like it had been the first time Misumi had met her at the shop. It had struck Misumi as strangely appealing, like the sigh of a lover or the whisper of a goddess.</p><p>“You look lovely too, Hinata. Your yukata is stunning.”</p><p>“Oh,” Hinata smiled, raising a hand to gently cover the lower half of her face in an attempt to soothe some of her embarrassment. “Thank you, I was afraid I might have over dressed for the occasion.”</p><p>“I had the exact same fear.” Misumi admitted. She stole a glance at Kiba as he spoke with Lee. “I assume this is your date for the evening?”</p><p>That was enough to get Kiba’s attention. Misumi wasn’t sure who turned crimson faster, Hinata who was immediately trying to coil into her yukata like a butterfly trying to shove itself back into its cocoon or Kiba who merely gaped like a confused fish.</p><p>“What? Date?” Kiba said. “Come on that’d be like me guessing you were on a date with him.” </p><p>“I am.” Misumi said, unbothered.</p><p>Kiba stared at Lee.</p><p>“You’re on a date with her?”</p><p>“That is correct.” Lee chirped.</p><p>Kiba, realizing he had shoved both feet in his mouth, immediately started to back peddle.</p><p>“That’s great for you man, really. But come on Hinata here is just my friend. It’s not like I like her or anything. Besides we all know she has a thing for Naruto.”</p><p>Hinata looked like she wanted to die. If there was ever a time for a hole to spontaneously open and swallow someone, that would have been the ideal moment. Kiba looked startled by what he had said as well, and there was a look in his eyes that spoke of a hidden sort of softness.</p><p>“My apologies.” She  said, passively lifting her free hand. “Truly I meant no harm, you just seemed so comfortable together I assumed.”</p><p>“Well,” Hinata whispered, “Kiba is one of my closest friends….”</p><p>Kiba’s shoulders relaxed slightly. He rubbed his face, then his short brown hair. “It’s nothing, don’t even worry about it. Hey, those takoyaki look pretty good, where’d you get them from?”</p><p>Lee jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Right over there.”</p><p>Kiba gave a slow nod before looking to Hinata. He bent over slightly to better look at her. “You want to go grab some? I bet we can bully Shino into trying a weird flavor.”</p><p>Lowering her hands from her face, Hinata, still red, nodded. “That sounds like fun.”</p><p>Pleased with himself, Kiba gave Lee a dry grin. “Thanks for the tip on the food. I’ll catch you guys later and, Lee, remind me to ask you more about this whole thing next time.”</p><p>“Will do! Take care Hinata, Kiba.”</p><p>Misumi watched them go before she pressed a hand to her cheek, willing embarrassment to bubble in her core so she might blush.</p><p>“Lee I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t worry about it, that’s just how Kiba is.” He said, beginning to walk along once more. “You’ve met Hinata, then?”</p><p>“I have, she came into the shop just a day or two ago actually. She’s terribly sweet. She’s related to Neji, isn’t she?”</p><p>“She is. She’s his cousin, part of the main branch of the family.”</p><p>“And that man was…?”</p><p>“Kiba Inuzuka.” Lee answered. “They’re teammates. He can be a lot sometimes but he’s a great guy. I’m certain some people must say the same about me, now that I think about it.”</p><p>“Well I would certainly agree with the latter description. You really have been lovely, Lee.”</p><p>And then Misumi spotted it. Not too far off, hidden behind the decorative paper flags of a booth and tucked up in a far corner, was a life sized red panda plush. Its eyes were a little too far apart, its ears a little too big, and it was probably the cutest thing Misumi had ever seen. She didn’t even notice the dumb grin that Lee was sporting in response to her compliment.</p><p>“Lee look,” Misumi used her now empty toothpick to point. “Isn’t that panda just darling?”</p><p>Lee, having completed his first mission, now saw an opportunity for his second one. Though Lee had never actually found himself on a date before, he had a general idea how things went. He was supposed to woo Misumi, impress and flatter her, and this absolutely seemed like an opportunity to impress.</p><p>“Would you like me to win it for you?” Lee asked.</p><p>“Win it for me?” They had already changed trajectory and were aiming right for the booth. “I mean you can try but don’t worry if you can’t, those ring toss games are notoriously difficult and it seems like a pretty big prize.”</p><p>Lee stopped walking just long enough to flash a signature smile her way. “Don’t worry, if anyone should be able to win this game it should be me. I vow to you, Miss Misumi, I will win you that panda.” He punctuated the statement with a thumbs up.</p><p>The booth was lit with fun lights, the colors just making the shadows shift enough that it was hard to get a solid read on the depth of things. Various couples and children tried their luck at the game with various levels of moderate success, but even outright failure was met with laughter and jovial jeering among friends. It was easy to get caught up in the mood, and as Lee paid for his set of rings, Misumi found herself truly hoping he might win.</p><p>“Sir.” Lee addressed the man behind the bar. “How much do I need to win that panda?”</p><p>“Oh, that one?” He asked. “You’ll need to make six rings in a row.”</p><p>Lee accepted the challenge with a nod and focused on the empty milk bottles. With the six colorful rings placed before him Lee took a deep breath and made one final promise to himself. If he made all six rings, then Misumi would truly fall for him.</p><p>“Oo, so close.” The guy behind the bar said, looking at the three rings Lee had made. “That’s enough to get you something on the second shelf if you want it.”</p><p>Lee had money down faster than anyone could speak. With six new rings in front of him Lee squared his jaw and told himself the last vow didn’t count, all he had to do was make these next six rings and his wish would come true.</p><p>He only made four.</p><p>A little disheartened he looked to Misumi.</p><p>“You’re making progress!” She said, smiling at him.</p><p>“Would you like to try?” He offered.</p><p>“Um, sure.”</p><p>She sat the takoyaki down and watched as Lee was about to pay for her round, she lifted a hand to stop him. WIthdrawing her own coin purse from a pocket in her obi, she placed her own money down and gave him a thumbs up. She looked so sweet just then, her soft smile replaced with something so bright and light that it felt like sunshine, and Lee wasn’t strong enough to do anything more than smile back.</p><p>“Good luck, you’ve got this.” He said.</p><p>Misumi picked up one of the colorful plastic rings and with a flick of her wrist she sent one spinning around the neck of a milk bottle. Then a second. A third. A fourth. Fifth. It was so natural she didn’t even have to think about the way she flicked her wrist, the way her breathing slowed and the world fell away to leave only her target in crystal clear focus. It was as she was holding that sixth ring, ready to finish off her attack, that she felt the weight of eyes upon her.</p><p>Oh, right. Lee.</p><p>The last ring went flying off, hitting the backboard before falling limply to the ground below.</p><p>“Miss Misumi, that was incredible!” Lee said. “I had no idea you had such impeccable aim.”</p><p>“Me neither.” Misumi said, thinking fast. “I’m not sure if I should put this on beginner’s luck or on the luck you gave me.”</p><p>“I wish I could give myself some of that luck.” Lee said. “I <em> will </em>get you that bear, Miss Misumi.”</p><p>She sat the coins down for another round of rings. When they were placed before Lee, she put her hand on top of the pile to stop him from immediately giving it his best shot. He looked to her and his question was answered when she rocked onto the toes of her geta and pressed a kiss to his cheek.</p><p>“I know you will. You’ve got this.” She said, echoing his words back to him.</p><p>Reinvigorated and with a fire roaring in his veins, Lee snatched the rings up and sent them soaring.</p><p>Misumi wasn’t the only one who clapped when all six hit their marks. With a comment about Lee’s impressive aim, the man behind the counter grabbed the panda and handed it to Lee.  It was with all the pride in the world that Lee offered it to Misumi with the same level of gravity that he had presented the yellow rose with.</p><p>“For you.” He said.</p><p>Giggling, Misumi took the red panda into her hands and smiled at it. It looked even sillier up close. Misumi had never had a stuffed animal before and when she brought it in close to give it a hug, she saw the appeal immediately. It was so squishy and soft that she found she was very happy to actually have it. She was happy  that Lee was the one who had given it to her.</p><p>It was easy to play the part when reality and fiction began to blur together.</p><p>“I love it.” Misumi decided. Then, head tilting, she puffed her cheeks out. </p><p>“Is something wrong?” Lee asked.</p><p>“There is just one problem.” Misumi admitted. Turning the panda over  to face lee, she rested her chin atop of its head. “I have no idea what to name him.”</p><p>Lee laughed as they meandered away from the game stall. More than just being a  talented ring tosser, Misumi had an apparent skill for making his heart ache.Seeing her like that, Lee realized there was something different about her now. It wasn’t just that her smiles were brighter, but that the haze of melancholy that tinged her gaze was gone.</p><p>“What about Tadashi?” He suggested.</p><p>“I think that sounds like a great name.”</p><p>With Tadashi tucked safely under one arm and her other linked with Lee’s, Misumi allowed herself to be swept away by the magic of the festival. It didn’t take long for the sun to set and for the final dregs of clouds to give way to a clear sky. With the announcement of the firework show starting, Misumi and Lee set out to find a spot to claim as their own. Sitting in the grass of the nearest clearing with Tadashi by Misumi’s side and a two sticks of hanami dango to split between them, they looked quite comfortable indeed.</p><p>Lee sat with his legs stretched out before him where Misumi kept hers tucked up in a position that was nothing short of dainty. The summer air was warm, and the presence of Lee next to her, his thigh pressed against hers, was warmer.</p><p>“You know, sometimes I think about how truly amazing it is.” Lee said, breaking the easy silence that had settled around them.</p><p>“What is?”</p><p>“How far Konoha has come.” Lee said. “This village has faced so much destruction, but we’ve come together and made it through all the same, and now here we are, enjoying a night as wonderful as this one.”</p><p>“You mean the invasion a few years ago, right? I heard about that.”</p><p>“It’s more than just that.” Lee said. “I was barely a child when the village was nearly destroyed by the Nine Tailed Fox. It took the lives of so many and it would have been so easy to just give up or for the survivors to turn on one another, but we banded together. We always have, and I think that’s admirable.”</p><p>His words stung so deeply that, for a moment, Misumi couldn’t breathe. The dissonance was back, ringing in her ears like she had just taken a hammer to her skull. She ate one of the dango and forced the sensation back down. She focused on the chew of the dessert, on the feeling of the gentle breeze against her cheeks and the thrum of connection between her and her date.</p><p>“It is.” She said. “The people here show their strength in their kindness.”</p><p>Lee nodded and they might have lapsed into silence again had Misumi not fallen to her curiosity.</p><p>“You mentioned earlier that Guy is like a father to you.” Misumi said, gently. “Does that mean…?”</p><p>Lee paused. Rather than looking at her he looked across the gentle slope of the hill, across at all the people that had gathered for the festivities. Children ran about with sparklers, their laughter ringing clear and true, and he could see the silhouettes of his friends gathered in groups or in duos and all he could think about was how thankful he was for them. When he had so much it felt strange to feel so much sorrow for what he had lost, but the sorrow was there all the same. It was like a broken bone that had healed long ago, the pain coming in waves when it was least expected.</p><p>“Many people passed away when the Nine Tailed attacked Konoha. My parents were among those lost. They gave their lives for this village, dying as they tried to protect others.”</p><p>“Lee I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay.” He said. “I was too young to remember them, but I miss them all the same. I sometimes think about what they would be like, if they would be proud of me. I understand those thoughts don’t help anything, Neji has said just as much, but I do wonder.”</p><p>“I don’t know if it counts for anything, but I’m certain they would be proud of you.” Misumi rested her hand on his, linking their fingers together. “Tenten has told me more than a few stories about your exploits as her friend and teammate and if even half of them are true then you’re nothing short of a hero in your own right.”</p><p>Lee squeezed her hand. “It’s what any shinobi would do.”</p><p>“But it’s not what every shinobi does.”</p><p>Lee let her words set in, knowing that she was right. Lee acted with a code of honor he believed everyone should have but knew few possessed and it was so easy for him to ignore that difference, for him to brush off his own achievements as the minimum.</p><p>The first firework was dazzling.</p><p>The silence was back, awe filling the space between the cheers and cries of the children as the show went on. The fireworks popped and whistled as they cast colorful stars across the sky. And there, dappled with blues and oranges, Misumi leaned further into Lee. Her head on his shoulder she found her eyes moving from the fireworks to his face.</p><p>He really was handsome, she thought, perhaps not in a traditional way but Misumi had never been a woman of tradition before.</p><p>“Lee?” She asked.</p><p>He turned his attention to her. “Yes, Miss Misumi?”</p><p>“Can I kiss you?”</p><p>Time stopped. Lee didn’t even hear the next firework go off, all he saw was Misumi and the universe in her eyes. He was certain his hand was sweaty now, and if it wasn’t for the fireworks he was certain she would have been able to hear his heart thrumming against his ribs. His mouth was dry. Slowly, he nodded.</p><p>Sitting up, Misumi shifted so she could face him better. Her hands came to rest on his face, cupping his cheeks so tenderly it was as though she were afraid she might hurt him in some way. Her hands were soft and cool against his hot skin and he couldn’t help but lean into her touch.</p><p>And then he was leaning into her.</p><p>Misumi kissed him gently, sweetly, and Lee felt so light he might very well have drifted away if she wasn’t there to ground him. His hands, firmly on his legs as he was unsure of where to put them, felt tingly. He was smiling when she pulled back, eyes half shut and his face nothing short of love drunk.</p><p>For Lee it had been a good first kiss, for Misumi it was like nothing her training had prepared her for. Far from the steril exercises she had been forced through, this left her heart fluttering. She felt effervescent.</p><p>“Miss Misumi.”</p><p>“Lee.”</p><p>“Can we...kiss again?”</p><p>She giggled and the two missed the firework finale.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't forget to check for cavities after reading your daily allotted amount of fluff!</p><p>Questions comments critiques and concerns are always welcome! I seriously love hearing your thoughts and chatting with you guys (:<br/>And thanks again for giving an OC fic a chance!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Sunlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After gossiping with Tenten over brunch, Misumi meets a new face before she's bombarded with flowers and romance.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So?” Tenten asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So…?” Misumi said, looking up from the menu.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten rolled her eyes. “So how was it? Come on, spill.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you mean the festival? It was lovely, thank you for asking.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten leaned back in her booth, her head hitting the cloth barrier with a dull thunk. “Oh my god you’re going to make me feel like Ino. How was your </span>
  <em>
    <span>date</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten stressed the word as she leaned forward once more, hands braced on the table. She realized too, just a moment too late, that their server had arrived just in time to overhear the secretive conversation. Tenten tensed, instinctively looking away. She had always prided herself in not being the gossipy sort and had gathered a reputation for being above the common chatter of boys and romance. Being caught in the act of such indulgent conversation was, she had to admit, a little embarrassing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi, however, did nothing more than giggle at the way Tenten’s shoulders had shot up to her ears, the way she looked like she had been caught with a boy rather than just talking about boys. They placed their orders for brunch and Tenten watched as their server disappeared, peering over the back of her booth to ensure they truly were gone, before she honed in on Misumi once more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So? Come on, you have to tell me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Says who?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten puffed her cheeks out in silent protest and Misumi laughed. Reaching out she grabbed Tenten’s hand that was resting on the table, giving it a fond squeeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was it you said to me earlier? If I don’t mess with you who will?” Misumi, pleased when Tenten smiled at her, retracted her hand. “It was...really nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The memories of last night, fresh and bright, flooded Misumi’s senses. She was smiling, a hand coming to rest lightly on her cheek as that warmth permeated her heart and lungs. Lee had made it easy for her to play her part of the love struck girl, to build her plan and set her roots, and for that she was thankful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For as much as she lied, what she had said was true. The evening before, filled with fireworks and first kisses, had been very nice indeed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We shared takoyaki,” she continued, “and dango. He won me a seriously cute red panda plushie too, and after that we just wandered around and talked until it was time for fireworks. It was lovely. Thank you for setting us up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Tenten had to laugh at that. “Oh please don’t put any of the blame on me, if anything I was just trying to moderate Lee. If he had gotten his way, he would have asked you to marry him when he first met you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both giggled at that idea, a fondness keeping the laughter from being colored with cruelty. Plates of food were placed before them and Tenten didn’t hesitate in reaching out to snatch the big, bright strawberry that sat like a jewel atop of Misumi’s matcha pancakes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Tenten gave a vague wave of her hand, “do you think this will be, you know, a thing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope so.” Misumi said. “I had meant to ask Lee if he wanted to go out again some time after he walked me home but by the time we got back I was so tired it slipped my mind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Late night, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhmm.” Misumi nodded. “Lee really is just so sweet...and he’s not a bad kisser either.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten choked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Misumi!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” The question was colored with laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t need to tell me that!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you wanted to know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to know that.” Tenten protested. “He’s my teammate. I don’t want to think about how good of a kisser he is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh that’s right, I remember, you just want to think about how good of a kisser Neji is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten turned scarlet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she could decide if she wanted to commit homicide or suicide, Misumi continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know, he’s your teammate and you would never.” Misumi said. “But...you do have to admit he has some pretty dreamy eyes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten’s eyes darted away. “I don’t have to admit anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you don’t.” She said. “And I would never dare try to make you. Oh, but, speaking of star-crossed romance I brought that book you had asked to borrow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oo, gimme.” Tenten held out a hand, grasping for the book as soon as Misumi held it up. “Awesome, thank you. I’ve been trying to start this series for months but Konoha doesn’t have the best bookstore in the Land. You know, the boys think I spend all my time thinking about and working with my weapons, can you believe it? Like I’m incapable of doing things just because I don’t talk to them about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I get what you mean. For as sweet as Lee is I don’t get the feeling I can sit down and gush about my favorite book and actually have something meaningful come out of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tenten nodded, feeling understood in a way she hadn’t been in what felt like ages.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But hey,” Misumi said, “that’s what we have each other for right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though Fuku-an had opened late that day, it didn’t seem like anyone had noticed or bothered to care. Konoha was sleepy after the late night extravaganza, leaving the village moving at a sluggish pace that Misumi appreciated. Stores were only just opening as the young ninja-to-be finished cleaning the streamers and trash from the festival the night before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi slipped inside of her shop, stepping out of her geta and letting the silence consume her as she moved about like a spectre. She organized her teas, made sure her cups were cleaned, and once that was done she made her way to the back door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still hanging around, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat mewed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a lazy little monster you are. You truly can’t find any better place to be?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi was speaking to the cat that had taken a liking to hanging around the alley in the back of her shop. The cat in question sat atop the fence a few feet away, staring at her as its tail swished lazily back and forth. It was still dirty, hair coming off in clumps, but there was more meat to it’s bones now. Misumi might have had something to do with that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat didn’t respond to her final question, prompting Misumi to roll her eyes as she approached. Though she had eaten her fill with Tenten, she had been mindful to order just a little extra for this exact purpose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Popping open the small box of leftovers, Misumi placed a now cold pancake atop of an abandoned box. In less than a heartbeat the cat had hopped down, landing silently beside the offering. The cat looked up to Misumi, tail swishing slightly, and Misumi smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A strange sensation hummed through her, when the cat moved past the pancake and, instead, pressed its head into her hand. It was so small, and she could feel the grooves of his skull under its febal layer of fur and flesh. She could feel his warmth, and the low rumble of a purr that shook his whole form. Misumi, unsure of what to do, merely kept her hand still.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, slowly, she gently ran her nails along the ridge of his spine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A terrible little monster.” She whispered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat ate, pulling small pieces of the pancake off in a way that Misumi had no choice but to find cute. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled away, turning before that thought could sink in too deeply. The cat mewed at her once more as she returned to the door and Misumi stole a glance back at him. He waited even as she returned to her tea shop, disappearing within. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Entering the main room of her shop, Misumi was stunned to see that through the fragmented glass of the front door a figure waited just on the other side. Slowly, Misumi approached. Flipping the sign to ‘open’, she pulled the door open and bowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I apologize if you were waiting for long.” She said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you open?” He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there was something about his voice, low and quiet, that made Misumi’s blood chill. Her eyes flicked up and she found herself staring at the half hidden face of Shino Aburame. His name had made its way onto the dossier of Konoha she had been given a life-time ago, though the data her village had on him was sparse at best. Still, there was no mistaking his identity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though she couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, Misumi couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t so much watching her as he was staring at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yes.” She straightened and stepped out of the way. “Please, do come in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t say anything as he moved past her, carrying an atmosphere about his form that she couldn’t quite place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shino traded his sandals for the shoes she had on offer, took a table, and waited. He was watching her again, expectantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Since it’s your first time here I’d be happy to tell you about the tea I have on hand.” She offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That won’t be necessary.” Shino said. “I’ll have a cup of sakuraya.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Odd</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Misumi wasn’t sure of what to make of his order, if anything she would have pegged him to be a genmaicha man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” She said. “If you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was the last thing he said. As Misumi made his tea and brought it to him, and even as he drank it,Shino sat in silence. She could sense him observing herself and the room in equal measure, but what he was searching for was beyond her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did he know?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thought came as a quiet whisper. Her hands that had been cleaning a tea strainer stilled. Surely that was impossible. Misumi hadn’t done anything to arouse suspicion, she hadn’t even sent any sensitive information back to her village. And yet she couldn’t shake the suspicion that Shino knew something, that he suspected her as much as she suspected him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paid and left, leaving behind nothing more than the coin to cover his tab and a strange chill in Misumi’s soul.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was possible after all that someone might have looked too far into her cover story, that they might have followed her lie to the point where it broke apart. She could forge all the papers she wanted, lie all she pleased, but if someone went to her ‘home city’ and started asking around  there would be no hiding the fact that no one who lived there would have ever heard of her. Would she have to kill him?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door opened and she jumped, cold eyes darting up as she finished drying the cup Shino had used.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss Misumi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was hard to see him at first, as hidden as he was behind the massive bouquet of yellow roses, but there was no mistaking who had just entered her store.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lee, I’d say it’s a pleasure to see you but all that foliage makes it a little hard.” She teased, stepping around the counter to greet him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lee peaked over the top of the roses and gave her a smile that could rival the sun. “They’re for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded and, before he offered them to her, dropped to a single knee. “I wished  to get you more. I wanted to get you a rose for every moment I have thought of you but Ino said they didn’t have that many in stock so I bought everything I could! Miss Misumi I need you to know I had a wonderful time on our date last night and I wish to have more wonderful times with you in the future.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Her hand had come up, gently resting on her chest as she looked down at him. “Lee.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She might have said more, but the look in his eye was enough to tell her that he wasn’t done. There was a passion there, a determination she had seen when he had first asked her out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lee took a breath and, summoning all of his courage, spoke.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There was a thump</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of the moment we fell</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound that says</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>We can never go back to the moment before”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Poetry. He had memorized poetry. For her. There was a heat starting to coil in Misumi’s chest, the feeling of a fresh fire on a cold winter evening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do not know very much about poetry but I do know that is how I feel about you, and now, and I hope you feel the same.” Finally, Lee offered her the massive bundle of roses. “Miss Misumi I would be honored if you would go out with me again, and if you would please consider being my girlfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Misumi had to give Lee this, he knew what he wanted and he was never afraid to ask for it. She had been prepared for a long game, a slow burn of whispered innuendo and polite courting but this, she thought, was much better. Lee very well might have been the best mistake to happen to her mission.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heart aching in her chest, Misumi accepted the roses as best as she could. Dozens upon dozens of yellow flowers smiled up at her and it was so absolutely absurd it was hard for Misumi to keep herself from laughing. The roses were smushed as she reached over them, gently cupping Lee’s face in her palm. He looked so very serious and she realized that she held his hope in her hand just as gingerly as she held his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d love to go out with you again, and I think it would be my honor, if anything, to have a man as wonderful as you as my boyfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The light in Lee’s face was blinding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaping to his feet Lee pumped both fists in the air with a cry of victory. He reached for Misumi and the next thing she knew she was in the air, Lee’s hands on her waist as he lifted her with ease. The roses scattered, flying into the air before landing in a beautiful mess about their feet as Lee brought Misumi back down and into his arms. He held her as though she was something special.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won’t regret this, I promise  you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And though everything about him was buoyant and cheerful, Misumi couldn’t help but think about what might have caused such a boisterous reaction. She thought to the jokes people had made, the disbelief that he was with anyone - yet alone someone like </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She wondered, for the briefest of moments, how desperate he was for companionship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She returned his hug, her fingers splayed across his muscular back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I won’t.” She said, simply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe, somewhere hidden below the layers of self-inflicted lies and trauma, she was desperate for companionship too.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oop! Hey y'all! I'm not dead and this project is still alive - but I got caught in the Texas Blackout last month and wow that really put a halt to my ability to write things for a while! We're back to once a week updates as of this week &lt;3<br/>Thank you again for sticking around and I hope you're ready for some fun spy shenanigans in these next few chapters!</p>
<p>Questions, comments, concerns and critiques are always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Shadows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Misumi waters Tenten's flowers and takes up photography as a hobby.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Even among a village of shinobi, those aligned with the Aburame clan were known for their secrecy and penchant for observation. These were the traits that made Shino in particular something of a black sheep among his fellow ninja, teammates included, but the view of others had never been much of a concern to him. What concerned him now, however, was how little vision those around him seemed to have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Never one for needless gossip or silly rumors, Shino hadn’t paid any attention to the whispers of a new face arriving in Konoha. The existence of a tea shop meant little to him. That was, at least, until something Hinata said had caught his interest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that girl from the festival,” Kiba started, “she’s your friend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well,” Hinata nervously adjusted the sleeve of her jacket, “I’m not sure I’d call us friends yet but she’s been very sweet to me every time I’ve come in for tea. I invited her over, actually..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, really?” Kiba asked. “Wow good for you Hinata, that’s pretty bold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” she stammered, “it’s just- she mentioned she’d love to learn to bake but she’s having trouble just working from books and I thought I might be able to help. I...kind of made the offer before I could think about it, really, but I am excited. It should be fun. Right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiba smiled, teeth bright and sharp. He reached out to Hinata, gently grasping her shoulder before he gave it a warm squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already got the date, you can relax. I’m sure it’ll be fun, and hey, you should bring me whatever you make if there’s extra. That cake you made for my birthday last year was great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just as Hinata was smiling, her posture relaxing, Shino spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You invited her over to the estate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata blinked, turning her attention to him. He was standing just a few steps away from her and Kiba, it didn’t matter how long they had been a team Shino always seemed to enjoy his personal space. Hinata didn’t mind and Kiba didn’t care, but it made it easy sometimes to forget he was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yes?” She didn’t sound sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was all Shino had said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That exchange had been enough to pique his interest, not in Misumi as a person, but in what she had done. From what he had gathered in the interim was that people were either completely charmed by her, or found her to be entirely inoffensive if a little bland. More so than that, however, it was who she had decided to fill her social circle with that made his interest corrupt into suspicion. From what Shino could tell, Misumi had befriended not just Tenten, but at least one shinobi from nearly every active group of the Konoha Eleven. From his group, she had charmed Hinata well enough to get a direct invitation to the Hyuga estate, from Team Ten there was Ino, and it seemed all of Team Guy had become infatuated with her - with Tenten being patient zero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside of that, Misumi didn’t seem to have any solid connections in the village at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What Shino was left wondering was why a woman like herself, someone so removed from shinobi life, would have gone out of her way to make friends with exclusively those who had dedicated themselves the way they all had. What, of all things, would interest her so much?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a question no one else had seemed to bother asking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps Shino was just being paranoid. His trip to Fuku-an had been uneventful, leaving him with the opinion that while Misumi made a very nice cup of tea, she was entirely boring. He didn’t see the appeal everyone else did, and if he didn’t know better he very well might have suspected the use of genjutsu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he had nothing tangible to stake his claim on, Shino was suspicious all the same. He didn’t know what her game was, what she was trying to gain, but if Shino was certain of one thing it was that she was, in fact, playing an angle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just needed to figure out what it was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so he found himself in the tea shop once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was busy. People spoke quietly among themselves, laughter occasionally bubbling up around their tables. They all seemed happy, oblivious. Misumi perked up when she saw him enter, and when she gave a vague wave of her hand for Shino to take a seat anywhere he pleased, he did just that. Positioning himself in a corner table, he watched and waited for her arrival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shino.” She greated. “I’m happy to see you again, I trust your tea was to your liking last time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was.” He said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like the same, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would, thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. And if there’s anything else you need please don’t hesitate to ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I assure you, that won’t be a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a simple exchange, and Misumi was gone the moment it was over. He sat his hand on the table and from the sleeve of his coat crawled a single, tiny, black, beetle. The bug crawled forward, disappearing over the side of the table before finally vanishing from sight. Spy work may not have come naturally for everyone in Konoha, least of all his teammates, but for Shino a single beetle and some patience would be all he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi looked at the wall carefully as she walked, noting the numbers that lined the apartments until she found what she was looking for. It was funny to think that the first time she’d be going to Tenten’s apartment would be while she was away. She wondered, idly, what she might find within. Was Tenten secretly a slob, barely keeping it together - or would she be surprisingly girly within the sanctuary of her own home?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only one way to find out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for Misumi to find the key Tenten had left out for her and with a twist of the knob Misumi let herself inside. She was there to water her plants while she was off on a mission, something Misumi was more than happy to do. In a way, the timing had been all too perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had received a letter back from her handler, and it hadn’t been hard for her to decipher the overly cordial language and casual chatter of a life that existed on paper alone. Her mistake with Neji would be forgiven should the information she offered be well worth the effort - information that the kage was expecting to see sooner rather than later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clock was ticking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door clicked shut behind her and Misumi found herself standing in a simple, clean living room. With it being a corner apartment, bright light streamed in through the windows on the far right wall, bathing the creamy walls and crisp wooden floors in a rich hue. In place of paintings, scrolls decorated the blank space of the walls. A bookshelf filled the far left wall, its shelves decorated not just with novels but with little knick knacks, shiny objects, and decorative weapons. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drawn to the bookshelf, Misumi didn’t hesitate to reach for the single framed photo that sat among the decor. It was an image of Team Guy, she realized, perhaps from when the group was first formed with how young everyone seemed to be. Tenten was in the middle, looking pleased with herself, Lee looked just as eager as ever, Neji barely deigned to look at the camera, and the man standing behind them all - well if Misumi hadn’t known better she might have mistaken him to be Lee’s father.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that their teacher?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh. Well that was weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Setting the picture down, Misumi was about to return to her job when her blood ran cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the sleeve of her kimono, hiding among the pattern of brightly colored flowers, was a beetle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi liked to think she was a brave woman. Blood had bathed her hands for so long she knew they could never be washed clean, and she had faced death so many times she very well considered Him to be the closest friend she had. She didn’t flinch in the face of war or violence, her soul too empty to feel fear in the face that would send others into panic, but if there was anything to make her quiver it would be exactly this. Bugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In an instant she could hear the buzzing again, the faint sound of wings in her ears, of tiny legs crawling over her sunken, dilapidated flesh, tiny mandibles digging pock marks into her cheeks and legs. They had been feasting on her before she had even drawn her last breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind was long gone, haunted by the feeling, but her reflexes were as sharp as ever. The beetle, seeming to realize that it had been spotted, tried to make its escape but it was too late. With a single strike, the creature had been slain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi moved quickly, hurrying to the tiny kitchen just off of the living room. She didn’t so much as wash her hands, but scrub them, eager to remove the dark mark the beetle had left on her flesh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Disgusting little creatures.” She muttered to herself, snatching up a cloth to dry her hands off and dab at the spot on her kimono where it had crawled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How long had it been on her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking off the thought Misumi rubbed her face and gathered herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Step one: Water Tenten’s plants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grabbing the little, red watering can where Tenten had left it, Misumi diligently tended to the small subset of plants Tenten had recently gathered in an attempt to expand her horizons when it came to hobbies. With the first chore out of the way, Misumi could finally set herself on the reason she had come here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drawing the blinds shut, Misumi turned to face the rest of the apartment. She needed to assume that one of the neighbors might have seen her come inside, and with that assumption made she was stripped of the luxury of turning this place over one book at a time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I was Tenten,” she whispered, “where would I keep things?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenten had no reason to assume anything was out of the ordinary, after all. It was very likely that if Tenten was keeping sensitive information in her apartment, she would go through the bare minimum to keep it secret at all. She was trusting, something Misumi had appreciated about her from day one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Making her way deeper into the apartment, Misumi stepped into Tenten’s bedroom. It was small, cozy even, and definitely more personal than her living room was. Misumi didn’t waste her time now looking at the family picture sitting on Tenten’s night stand nor did she take a double glance at the vanity that sported jewelry she had never seen Tenten wear. No, her attention was consumed by the desk that sat in the corner and the handful of papers and books that sat atop of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People in Konoha were all too trusting. It was a shame, really.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking hold of her obi sash, Misumi twisted it around so she could reach not just the overly ornate bow that decorated it, but the object she had tucked inside of it that morning. Out from the folds and layers of brocade she produced a camera. It was small enough to fit into her palm and no more than an inch in thickness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had no idea how someone was able to make a camera that small, but she was thankful for it all the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Careful and quick in equal measures, Misumi flipped through the documents on Tenten’s desk. They were, for the most part, formal debriefings of recent missions. Lee hadn’t been lying when he mentioned that they handled a lot of bandits. It was the higher ranked missions, however, that sported interesting names, mistakes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weaknesses that needed to be improved upon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were techniques too, books that Tenten had been working from in order to strengthen her understanding of jutsu that seemed native to the Land of Fire. There was theory and technique detailed within, and a history that very well might have been lost had it not been so thoroughly recorded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was there a private library for shinobi?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, oh, there was healing jutsu too. Tenten had never struck Misumi as the healing sort but, then again, hadn’t she mentioned idolizing Tsunade?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Misumi took photos of all of it, snapping picture after picture of each page without taking the time to read any of it herself. In mere minutes, she was finished. Mindful to return things just the way they had been when she found them, Misumi tucked the camera back into her obi and turned the sash around once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left the apartment without incident.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That evening she penned a response to her handler. It was as non descript as ever, detailing a boring and happy life should anyone dare to intercept it. She sent the message off with a box of local snacks, an array of small things she had found to be unique to Konoha, and hidden within the styrofoam container that once held Ichiraku instant ramen, was a roll of undeveloped film.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With her anxieties eased and her arms loosely draped around a stuffed red panda, Misumi slept easy that night.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is a little different from the rest but I hope you enjoyed it all the same! Lee fluff will return with the next addition to the series &lt;3</p><p>Questions, comments, concerns, and critiques are welcome as always!</p><p>And to the handful of people who have been reading along with every chapter thank you, seriously, so much. I can't over state how amazing it is to have you all along for the ride. I'd love to do something for you like maybe find a way to post some art with one of the chapters as a treat if that would be of any interest to y'all :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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